'n';'!';n:!!iM!'ii!iii'!!';:!';ll'li!liK^!;!^ri^'l 


Ihe  rorge  in  the  Forest 


An  Acadian  Romance 


B;  Cjiaiu^s  G  l>^vobcrts 


The  Forge  in  the  Forest 


■is 


A 


\ 


\'-  !5u-' 


"  ON    A    BLOCK   JUST    INSIDE    THE    DOOR    SAT    MARC  " 

(See  page  Ij) 


The 

Forge    in    the    Forest 

Being 

The  Narrative  of  the  Acadian  Ranger^  J^^^ 

de  Mer^  Seigneur  de  Briart ;  and  how 

he  crossed  the  Black  Ahh'e ;  and  of 

his  Adventures  in  a  Strange 

^  Fellowship 


By 
Charles  G.   D.  Roberts 

Author  of  "  The  Kindred  of  the  Wild,"  "Barbara 
Ladd,"  "  A  Sister  to  Evangeline,"  etc. 


New  York 
Grosset  &  Dunlap 

Publishers 


Copyright,  1896, 
By  Lamson,  WolfFe  and  Company. 


All  rights  reserved. 


*    t    '«.'.. 


To 
George  E.  Fenety,  Esq. 

This  Story  of  a  Province 

among  whose  Honoured  Sons  he  is 

not  least  distinguished 

is  dedicated 

with  esteem  and  affection 


Contents 


Part  I.  —  Marc 

Page 

A  Foreword       .  .  .  .  .  .11 

Chapter 

I.      The  Capture  at  the  Forge  ,  .        15 

ir.  The  Black  Abbe       ....  27 

III.  Tamin's  Little  Stratagem   .  ,          •  33 

IV.  The  Governor's  Signature  .          ,  46 
V.  In  the  Run  of  the  Seas       ...  60 

VI.  Grul 72 

VII.  The  Commander  is  Embarrassed  .        85 

VIII.  The  Black  Abbe  Comes  to  Dinner        .        98 

IX.  The  Abbe  Strikes  Again     .  .  .111 

X.  A  Bit  of  White  Petticoat    .  .  .124 

XI.  I  Fall  a  Willing  Captive     .  .  .137 


Part  Il.  —  Miipah 

XII.      In  a  Strange  Fellowship     .  .  .155 

XIII.  My  Comrade  .  .  .  .167 

XIV.  My  Comrade  Shoots  Excellently  Well      178 


XV.      Grul's  Hour   . 


193 


7* 


Contents 


Chapter  Page 

XVI.  I  Cool  My  Adversaries'  Courage  .      207 

XVII.  A  Night  in  the  Deep      .          .  .219 

XVIII.  The  Osprey,  of  Plymouth        .  .229 

XIX.  The  Camp  by  Canseau  Strait  .  .242 

XX.  The  Fellowship  Dissolved         .  .257 

XXI.  The  Fight  at  Grand  Pre            .  .272 

XXII.  The  Black  Abbe  Strikes  in  the  Dark  .      287 

XXIII.  The  Rendezvous  at  the  Forge  .  .302 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

"  On  a  block  just  inside  the  door  sat 

Makc'' {See  page  IS)  .  .  Frontispiece 
*'  His   head  drooped   forward   upon   his 

breast" 43 

"The  result  of  the  shot  was  all  that 

we  could  desire  "  .  ,  .  .  6$ 
"  The  visitor  .  .  .  was  none  other  than 

THE  Black  Abbe  himself  .  .  .  loo 
"'But  I  AM  strong,  truly'"  .  .  .  i68 
"  Swinging    over    the    deep,    with    shud- 

derings  and  twistings  "...  200 
"  And  suddenly  .  .  .  put  Philip  into  my 

arms" 310 


Part  1 
Marc 


The  Forge  in  the  Forest 


A   Foreword 

WHERE  the  Five  Rivers  flow  down 
to  meet  the  swinging  of  the  Minas 
tides,  and  the  Great  Cape  of  Blomi- 
don  bars  out  the  storm  and  the  fog,  lies 
half  a  county  of  rich  meadow-lands  and 
long-arcaded  orchards.  It  is  a  deep- 
bosomed  land,  a  land  of  fat  cattle,  of 
well-filled  barns,  of  ample  cheeses  and 
strong  cider ;  and  a  well-conditioned  folk 
inhabit  it.  But  behind  this  countenance 
of  gladness  and  peace  broods  the  memory 
of  a  vanished  people.  These  massive 
dykes,  whereon  twice  daily  the  huge  tide 
beats  in  vain,  were  built  by  hands  not 
suffered  to  possess  the  fruits  of  their 
labour.      These    comfortable   fields    have 

II 


12  The  Forge  In  the  Forest 

been  scorched  with  the  ruin  of  burning 
homes,  drenched  with  the  tears  of  women 
hurried  into  exile.  These  orchard  lanes, 
appropriate  to  the  laughter  of  children  or 
the  silences  of  lovers,  have  rung  with  battle 
and  run  deep  with  blood.  Though  the 
race  whose  bane  he  was  has  gone,  still 
stalks  the  sinister  shadow  of  the  Black 
Abbe. 

The  low  ridge  running  between  the 
dykelands  of  the  Habitants  and  the  dyke- 
lands  of  the  Canard  still  carries  patches 
of  forest  interspersed  among  its  farms, 
for  its  soil  is  sandy  and  not  greatly  to  be 
coveted  for  tillage.  These  patches  are 
but  meagre  second  growth,  with  here 
and  there  a  gnarled  birch  or  overpeer- 
ing  pine,  lonely  survivor  of  the  primeval 
brotherhood.  The  undergrowth  has  long 
smoothed  out  all  traces  of  what  a  curious 
eye  might  fifty  years  ago  have  discerned, 
—  the  foundations  of  the  chimney  of  a 
blacksmith's  forge.  It  is  a  mould  well 
steeped  in  fateful  devisings,  this  which 
lies  forgotten  under  the  creeping  roots 
of  juniper  and  ragged-robin,  between  the 


A  Foreword  13 

diminished  stream  of  Canard  and  the  yel- 
low tide  of  Habitants. 

The  forest  then  was  a  wide-spreading 
solemnity  of  shade  wherein  armies  might 
have  moved  unseen.  The  forge  stood 
where  the  trail  from  Pereau  ran  into  the 
more  travelled  road  from  the  Canard  to 
Grand  Pre.  The  branches  of  the  ancient 
wood  came  down  all  about  its  low  eaves ; 
and  the  squirrels  and  blue  jays  chattered  on 
its  roof.  It  was  a  place  for  the  gathering 
of  restless  spirits,  the  men  of  Acadie  who 
hated  to  accept  the  flag  of  the  English 
king.  It  was  the  Acadian  headquarters 
of  the  noted  ranger,  Jean  de  Mer,  who 
was  still  called  by  courtesy,  and  by  the 
grace  of  such  of  his  people  as  adhered  to 
his  altered  fortunes,  the  Seigneur  de  Briart. 
His  father  had  been  lord  of  the  whole 
region  between  Blomidon  and  Grand  Pre ; 
but  the  English  occupation  had  deprived 
him  of  all  open  and  formal  lordship,  for 
the  de  Briart  sword  was  notably  conspicu- 
ous on  the  side  of  New  France.  Never- 
theless, many  of  Jean  de  Mer's  habitants 
maintained  to  him  a  chivalrous  allegiance. 


14  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

and  paid  him  rents  for  lands  which  in  the 
EngUsh  eye  were  freehold  properties.  He 
cherished  his  hold  upon  these  faithful  folk, 
willing  by  all  honest  means  to  keep  their 
hearts  to  France.  His  one  son,  Marc, 
grew  up  at  Grand  Pre,  save  for  the  three 
years  of  his  studying  at  Quebec.  His 
faithful  retainer,  Babin,  wielding  a  smith's 
hammer  at  the  Forge,  had  ears  of  wisdom 
and  a  tongue  of  discretion  for  the  men 
who  came  and  went.  Once  or  twice  in 
the  year,  it  was  de  Mer's  custom  to  visit 
the  Grand  Pre  country,  where  he  would 
set  his  hand  to  the  work  of  the  forge  after 
Babin's  fashion,  playing  his  part  to  the 
befooling  of  English  eyes,  and  taking,  in 
truth,  a  quaint  pride  in  his  pretended 
craft.  At  the  time,  however,  when  this 
narrative  opens,  he  had  been  a  whole 
three  years  absent  from  the  Acadian  land, 
and  his  home-coming  was  yet  but  three 
days  old. 


Chapter  I 
The  Capture  at  the  Forge 

IT  was  good  to  be  alive  that  afternoon. 
A  speckled  patch  of  sunshine,  hav- 
ing pushed  its  way  through  the  branches 
across  the  road,  lay  spread  out  on  the 
dusty  floor  of  the  forge.  On  a  block  just 
inside  the  door  sat  Marc,  his  lean,  dark 
face,  —  the  Belleisle  face,  made  more 
hawklike  by  the  blood  of  his  Penobscot 
grandmother,  —  all  aglow  with  eagerness. 
The  lazy  youngster  was  not  shamed  at  the 
sight  of  my  diligence,  but  talked  right  on, 
with  a  volubility  which  would  have  much 
displeased  his  Penobscot  grandmother.  It 
was  pleasant  to  be  back  with  the  lad  again, 
and  I  was  aweary  of  the  war,  which  of  late 
had  kept  my  feet  forever  on  the  move 
from  Louisbourg  to  the  Richelieu.  My 
fire  gave  a  cheerful  roar  as  I  heaved  upon 

15 


1 6  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

the  bellows,  and  turned  my  pike-point  in 
the  glowing  charcoal.  As  the  roar  sighed 
down  into  silence  there  was  a  merrv  whirr 
of  wings,  and  a  covey  of  young  partridges 
flashed  across  the  road.  A  contented 
mind  and  a  full  stomach  do  often  make 
a  man  a  fool,  or  I  should  have  made 
shift  to  inquire  why  the  partridges  had 
so  sharply  taken  wing.  But  I  never 
thought  of  it.  I  turned,  and  let  the  iron 
grow  cool,  and  leaned  with  one  foot  on 
the  anvil,  to  hear  the  boy's  talk.  My 
soul  was  indeed  asleep,  lulled  by  content, 
or  I  would  surely  have  felt  the  gleam  of 
the  beady  eyes  that  watched  me  through 
a  chink  in  the  logs  beside  the  chimney. 
But  I  felt  those  eyes  no  more  than  if  I 
had  been  a  log  myself. 

"  Yes,  Father,"  said  Marc,  pausing  in 
rich  contemplation  of  the  picture  in  his 
mind's  eye,  "  you  would  like  her  hair ! 
It  is  unmistakably  red,  —  a  chestnut  red. 
But  her  sister's  is  redder  still ! " 

I  smiled  at  his  knowledge  of  my  little 
weakness  for  hair  of  that  colour ;  but  not 
of  a  woman's  hair  was  I  thinking  at  that 


The  Capture  at  the  Forge         17 

moment,  or  I  should  surely  have  made 
some  question  about  the  sister.  My 
mind  ran  off  upon  another  trail. 

"  And  what  do  the  English  think 
they're  going  to  do  when  de  Ramezay 
comes  down  upon  them  P "  I  inquired. 
"  Do  they  flatter  themselves  their  tumble- 
down Annapolis  is  strong  enough  to  hold 
us  off  .^" 

The  lad  flushed  resentfully  and  straight- 
ened himself  up  on  his  seat. 

"  Do  you  suppose,  Father,  that  I  was 
in  the  fort,  and  hobnobbing  with  the 
Governor  ?  "  he  asked  coldly.  "  I  spoke 
with  none  of  the  English  save  Prudence 
and  her  sister,  and  the  child.'* 

"  But  why  not  ?  "  said  I,  unwilling  to 
acknowledge  that  I  had  said  anything  at 
which  he  might  take  offence.  "  Every 
one  knows  your  good  disposition  toward 
the  English,  and  I  should  suppose  you 
were  in  favour  at  Annapolis.  The  Gov- 
ernor, I  know,  makes  much  of  all  our  peo- 
ple who  favour  the  English  cause." 

Marc  stood  up,  —  lean,  and  fine,  and  a 
good  half  head  taller  than  his  father, — 


1 8  The  Forge  In  the  Forest 

and  looked  at  me  with  eyes  of  puzzled 
wrath. 

"  And  you  think  that  I,  knowing  all  I 
do  of  de  Ramezay's  plans,  would  talk  to 
the  English  about  them  ! "  he  exclaimed 
in  a  voice  of  keen  reproach. 

Now,  I  understood  his  anger  well 
enough,  and  in  my  heart  rejoiced  at  it ; 
for  though  I  knew  his  honour  would 
endure  no  stain,  I  had  nevertheless  feared 
lest  I  should  find  his  sympathies  all  Eng- 
lish. He  was  a  lad  with  a  way  of  think- 
ing much  and  thinking  for  himself,  and 
even  now,  at  twenty  year,  far  more  of  a 
scholar  than  I  had  ever  found  time  to  be. 
Therefore,  I  say,  his  indignation  pleased 
me  mightily.     Nevertheless  I  kept  at  him. 

"  Chut !  "  said  I,  "  all  the  world  knows 
by  now  of  de  Ramezay's  plans.  There 
had  been  no  taint  of  treachery  in  talking 
of  them  ! " 

Marc  sat  down  again,  and  the  ghost 
of  a  smile  flickered  over  his  lean  face. 
Though  free  enough  of  his  speech  be- 
times, he  was  for  the  most  part  as  unsmil- 
ing as  an  Indian. 


The  Capture  at  the  Forge         19 

"  I  see  you  are  mocking  me,  Father/* 
he  said  presently,  rehghting  his  pipe. 
"  Indeed,  you  know  very  well  I  am  on 
your  side,  for  weal  or  ill.  As  long  as 
there  was  a  chance  of  the  English  being 
left  in  peaceable  possession  of  Acadie,  I 
urged  that  we  should  accept  their  rule 
fully  and  in  good  faith.  No  one  can  say 
they  haven't  ruled  us  gently  and  gener- 
ously. And  I  feel  right  sure  they  will 
continue  to  rule  us,  for  the  odds  are  on 
their  side  in  the  game  they  play  with 
France.  But  seeing  that  the  game  has 
yet  to  be  played  out,  there  is  only  one 
side  for  me,  and  I  believe  it  to  be  the 
losing  one.  Though  as  a  boy  I  liked 
them  well  enough,  I  have  nothing  more 
to  do  with  the  English  now  except  to 
fight  them.  How  could  I  have  another 
flag  than  yours  ?  " 

"  You  are  my  own  true  lad,  whatever 
our  difference  of  opinion  !  "  said  I.  And 
if  my  voice  trembled  in  a  manner  that 
might  show  a  softness  unsuited  to  a  vet- 
eran of  my  training,  bear  in  mind  that, 
till  within  the  past  three  days,  I  had  not 


20  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

seen  the  lad  for  three  years,  and  then  but 
briefly.  At  Grand  Pre,  and  in  Quebec  at 
school,  Marc  had  grown  up  outside  my 
roving  life,  and  I  was  just  opening  my 
eyes  to  find  a  comrade  in  this  tall  son 
of  my  boyhood's  love.  His  mother,  a 
daughter  of  old  Baron  St.  Castin  by  his 
Penobscot  wife,  had  died  while  he  was  yet 
at  the  breast.  A  babe  plays  but  a  small 
part  in  the  life  of  a  ranging  bush-fighter, 
though  I  had  ever  a  great  tenderness  for 
the  little  lad.  Now,  however,  I  was  look- 
ing upon  him  with  new  eyes. 

Having  blown  the  coals  again  into  a 
heat,  I  returned  to  Marc's  words,  certain 
of  which  had  somewhat  stuck  in  my 
crop. 

"  But  you  speak  with  despondence,  lad, 
of  the  chances  of  the  war,  and  of  the  hope 
of  Acadie  !  By  St.  Joseph,  we'll  drive  the 
EngHsh  all  the  way  back  of  the  Penobscot 
before  you're  a  twelvemonth  older.  And 
Acadie  will  see  the  Flag  of  the  Lilies  flap- 
ping once  more  over  the  ramparts  of  Port 
Royal." 

Marc  shook  his  head  slowly,  and  seemed 


The  Capture  at  the  Forge         21 

to  be  following  with  his  eyes  the  vague 
pattern  of  the  shadows  on  the  floor. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  he,  with  a  con- 
viction which  caught  sharply  at  my  heart 
even  though  I  bore  in  mind  his  youth  and 
inexperience,  "  that  rather  will  the  Flag  of 
the  Lilies  be  cast  down  even  from  the 
strong  walls  of  Quebec.  But  may  that 
day  be  far  off!  As  for  our  people  here  in 
Acadie,  during  the  last  twelvemonth  it  has 
been  made  very  clear  to  me  that  evil  days 
are  ahead.  The  Black  Abbe  is  preparing 
many  sorrows  for  us  here  in  Acadie." 

"  I  suppose  you  mean  La  Game  ! "  said 
L  "  He's  a  diligent  servant  to  France ; 
but  I  hate  a  bad  priest.  He's  a  danger- 
ous man  to  cross,  Marc !  Don't  go  out 
of  your  way  to  make  an  enemy  of  the 
Black  Abbe ! " 

Again  that  ghost  of  a  smile  glimmered 
on  Marc's  lips. 

"  I  fear  you  speak  too  late.  Father ! " 
said  he,  quietly.  "  The  reverend  Abbe 
has  already  marked  me.  He  so  far  hon- 
ours me  as  to  think  that  I  am  an  obstacle 
in  his  path.     There  be  some  whose  eyes 


22  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

I  have  opened  to  his  villany,  so  that  he 
has  lost  much  credit  in  certain  of  the  par- 
ishes. I  doubt  not  that  he  will  contrive 
some  shrewd  stroke  for  vengeance." 

My  face  fell  somewhat,  for  I  am  not 
ashamed  to  confess  that  I  fear  a  bad  priest, 
the  more  so  in  that  I  yield  to  none  in  my 
reverence  for  a  good  one.  I  turned  my 
iron  sharply  in  the  coals,  and  then  ex- 
claimed : 

"  Oh,  well,  we  need  not  greatly  trouble 
ourselves.  There  are  others,  methinks, 
as  strong  as  the  Black  Abbe,  evil  though 
he  be  !  "  But  I  spoke,  as  I  have  often 
found  it  expedient  to  do,  with  more  confi- 
dence than  I  felt. 

Even  at  this  moment,  shrill  and  clear 
from  the  leafage  at  one  end  of  the  forge, 
came  the  call  of  the  big  yellow-winged 
woodpecker.  I  pricked  up  my  ears  and 
stiffened  my  muscles,  expectant  of  I  knew 
not  what. 

Marc  looked  at  me  with  some  surprise. 

"  It's  only  a  woodpecker  !  "  said  he. 

"  But  it's  only  in  the  spring,"  I  pro- 
tested, "  that  he  has  a  cry  like  that !  " 


The  Capture  at  the  Forge         23 

"  He  cries  untimely,  as  an  omen  of  the 
ills  to  come  !  "  said  Marc,  half  meaning  it 
and  half  in  jest. 

Had  it  been  anywhere  on  the  perilous 
frontier,  —  on  the  Richelieu  or  in  the 
West,  or  nigh  the  bloody  Massachusetts 
line,  my  suspicions  would  have  sprung  up 
wide  awake.  But  in  this  quiet  land  be- 
tween the  Habitants  and  the  Canard  I 
was  off  my  guard,  —  and  what  a  relief  it 
was,  indeed,  to  let  myself  be  careless  for  a 
little  !  I  thought  no  more  of  the  wood- 
pecker, but  remembered  that  sister  with 
the  red  hair.  I  came  back  to  her  by  in- 
direction, however. 

"  And  how  did  you  manage,  lad,  to  be 
seeing  Mistress  Prudence,  and  her  sister, 
and  the  child,  and  yet  no  others  of  the 
English  ?  A  matter  of  dark  nights  and 
back  windows  ?  Eh  ?  But  come  to  think 
of  it,  there  was  a  clear  moon  this  day  four 
weeks  back,  when  you  were  at  Annapolis." 

"  No,  Father,"  answered  Marc,  "  it  was 
all  much  more  simple  and  less  advent- 
urous than  that.  Some  short  way  out 
of  the  town  is  a  little  river,  the  Equille, 


24  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

and  a  pleasant  hidden  glade  set  high  upon 
its  bank.  It  is  a  favoured  resort  of  both 
the  ladies  ;  and  there  I  met  them  as  often 
as  I  was  permitted.  Mizpah  would 
sometimes  choose  to  play  apart  with  the 
child,  down  by  the  water's  edge  if  the  tide 
were  full,  so  I  had  some  gracious  oppor- 
tunity with  Prudence.  —  My  time  being 
brief,  I  made  the  most  of  it ! "  he  added 
drily.  His  quaint  directness  amused  me 
mightily,  and  I  chuckled  as  I  shaped  the 
red  iron  upon  the  anvil. 

"  And  who,"  I  inquired,  "  is  this  kind 
sister,  with  the  even  redder  hair,  who  goes 
away  with  such  a  timely  discretion  ? '' 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Marc,  "  I  forgot  you 
knew  nothing  of  her.  She  is  Mistress 
Mizpah  Hanford,  the  widow  of  a  Cap- 
tain Hanford  who  was  some  far  connection 
of  the  Governor's.  Her  property  is  in  and 
about  Annapolis,  and  she  lives  there  to 
manage  it,  keeping  Prudence  with  her  for 
companionship.  Her  child  is  four  or  five 
years  old,  a  yellow-haired,  rosy  boy  called 
Philip.  She's  very  tall,  —  a  head  taller 
than   Prudence,  and  older,  of  course,  by 


The  Capture  at  the  Forge         25 

perhaps  eight  years ;  and  very  fair,  though 
not  so  fair  as  Prudence;  and  altogether — " 

But  at  this  point  I  interrupted  him. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  the  Indian  ?  " 
I  exclaimed,  staring  out  across  Marc's 
shoulders. 

He  sprang  to  his  feet  and  looked  around 
sharply.  An  Indian,  carrying  three  shad 
strung  upon  a  sapling,  had  just  appeared 
on  the  road  before  the  forge  door.  As 
he  came  in  view  he  was  reeling  heavily, 
and  clutching  at  his  head.  He  dropped 
his  fish ;  and  a  moment  later  he  himself 
fell  headlong,  and  lay  face  downward  in 
the  middle  of  the  road.  I  remember 
thinking  that  his  legs  sprawled  childishly. 
Marc  strolled  over  to  him  with  slow  in- 
difference. 

"  Have  a  care  !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  There 
may  be  some  trap  in  it !  It  looks  not 
natural ! " 

"  What  trap  can  there  be  ? "  asked 
Marc,  turning  the  body  over.  "  It's  Red 
Moose,  a  Shubenacadie  Micmac.  I  like 
not  the  breed ;  but  ever  since  he  got  a 
hurt  on  the  head,  in  a  fight  at  Canseau  last 


26  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

year,  he  has  been  subject  to  the  falling 
sickness.  Let  us  carry  him  to  a  shady 
place,  and  he'll  come  to  himself  pres- 
ently!" 

I  was  at  his  side  in  a  moment,  and  we 
stooped  to  lift  the  seemingly  lifeless  figure. 
In  an  instant  its  arms  were  about  my  neck 
in  a  strangling  embrace.  At  the  same 
time  my  own  arms  were  seized.  I  heard 
a  fierce  cry  from  Marc,  and  a  groan  that 
was  not  his.  The  next  moment,  though 
I  writhed  and  struggled  with  all  my 
strength,  I  found  myself  bound  hand  and 
foot,  and  seated  on  the  ground  with  my 
back  against  the  door-post  of  the  forge. 
Marc,  bound  like  myself,  lay  by  the  road- 
side ;  and  a  painted  savage  sat  near  him 
nursing  with  both  hands  a  broken  jaw. 
A  dozen  Micmacs  stood  about  us.  Lean- 
ing against  the  door-post  over  against  me 
was  the  black-robed  form  of  La  Game. 
He  eyed  me,  for  perhaps  ten  seconds, 
with  a  smile  of  fine  and  penetrating  sar- 
casm. Then  he  told  his  followers  to 
stand  Marc  up  against  a  tree. 


Chapter    II 
The  Black  Abbe 

WHEN  first  I  saw  that  smile  on  the 
Black  Abbe's  face,  and  realized 
what  had  befallen  us,  I  came  nigh 
to  bursting  with  rage,  and  was  on  the 
point  of  telling  my  captor  some  truths  to 
make  his  ears  tingle.  But  when  I  heard 
the  order  to  stand  Marc  up  against  a  tree 
my  veins  for  an  instant  turned  to  ice. 
Many  men  —  and  some  women,  too,  God 
help  me,  I  then  being  bound  and  gagged, 
—  had  I  seen  thus  stood  up  against  a  tree, 
and  never  but  for  one  end.  I  could  not 
believe  that  such  an  end  was  contemplated 
now,  and  that  by  a  priest  of  the  Church, 
however  unworthy  of  his  office  !  But  I 
checked  my  tongue  and  spoke  the  Abbe 
fair. 

"  It  is  quite  plain  to   me.  Monsieur," 
27 


28  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

said  I,  quietly,  "that  my  son  and  I  are  the 
victims  of  some  serious  mistake,  for  which 
you  will,  I  am  sure,  feel  constrained  to 
ask  our  pardon  presently.  I  await  your 
explanations." 

La  Game,  still  smiling,  looked  me  over 
slowly.  Never  before  had  I  seen  him 
face  to  face,  though  he  had  more  than 
once  traversed  my  line  of  vision.  I  had 
known  the  tireless  figure,  as  tall,  almost, 
as  Marc  himself,  stoop-shouldered,  but 
robust,  now  moving  swiftly  as  if  propelled 
by  an  energy  irresistible,  now  languid  with 
an  affectation  of  indolence.  But  the  face 
—  I  hated  the  possessor  of  it  with  a  per- 
sonal hate  the  moment  my  eyes  fell  upon 
that  face.  Strong  and  inflexible  was  the 
gaunt,  broad,  and  thin  jaw,  cruel  and  cun- 
ning the  high,  pinched  forehead  and  nar- 
row-set, palely  glinting  eyes.  The  nose, 
in  particular,  greatly  offended  me,  being 
very  long,  and  thick  at  the  end.  "  I'll 
tweak  it  for  him,  one  fine  day,"  says  I  to 
myself,  as  I  boiled  under  his  steady  smile. 

"  There  is  no  mistake,  Monsieur  de 
Briart,  believe  me  !  "  he  said,  still  smiling. 


The  Black  Abbe  29 


There  could  be  no  more  fair  words,  of 
course,  after  that  avowal. 

"Then,  Sir  Priest,"  said  I,  coldly,  "you 
are  both  a  madman  and  a  scurvy  rogue, 
and  you  shall  yet  be  on  your  knees  to  me 
for  this  outrage.  You  will  see  then  the 
nature  of  your  mistake,  I  give  you  my 
word." 

The  priest's  smile  took  on  something 
of  the  complexion  of  a  snarl. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed.  Monsieur  de  Briart," 
said  he.  "  You  are  quite  safe,  because  I 
know  you  for  a  good  servant  to  France ; 
and  for  your  late  disrespect  to  Holy 
Church,  in  my  person,  while  in  talk  with 
your  pestilent  son,  these  bonds  may  be 
a  wholesome  and  sufficient  lesson  to 
you  I 

"  You  shall  have  a  lesson  sufficient 
rather  than  wholesome,  I  promise  you  !  " 
said  I. 

"  But  as  for  this  fellow,"  went  on  the 
Abbe,  without  noticing  my  interruption, 
"  he  is  a  spy.  You  understand  how  spies 
fare.  Monsieur  !  "  And  a  malignant  light 
made  his  eyes  appear  like  two  points  of 


30  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

steel  beneath  the  ambush  of  his  ragged 
brows. 

I  saw  Marc's  lean  face  flush  thickly 
under  the  gross  accusation. 

"  It  is  a  lie,  you  frocked  hound !  "  he 
cried,  careless  of  the  instant  peril  in  which 
he  stood. 

But  the  Black  Abbe  never  looked  at 
him. 

"  I  wish  you  joy  of  your  son,  a  very 
good  Englishman,  Monsieur,  and  now, 
I  fear,  not  long  for  this  world,'*  said  he, 
in  a  tone  of  high  civility.  "  He  has  long 
been  fouling  with  his  slanders  the  names 
of  those  whom  he  should  reverence,  and 
persuading  the  people  to  the  English. 
But  now,  after  patiently  waiting,  I  have 
proofs.     His  treachery  shall  hang  him  !  " 

For  a  moment  the  dear  lad's  peril  froze 
my  senses,  so  that  it  was  but  dimly  I 
heard  his  voice,  ringing  with  indignation 
as  he  hurled  back  the  charge  upon  the 
lying  lips  that  made  it. 

"  If  the  home  of  lies  be  anywhere  out 
of  Hell,  it  is  in  your  malignant  mouth, 
you  shame  of  the  Church,"  he  cried  in  de- 


The  Black  Abbe  31 

fiance.  "  There  can  be  no  proof  that  I 
am  a  spy,  even  as  there  can  be  no  proof 
that  you  are  other  than  a  false-tongued 
assassin,  defihng  your  sacred  office." 

It  was  the  galHng  defiance  of  a  savage 
warrior  at  the  stake,  and  even  in  my  fear 
my  heart  felt  proud  of  it.  The  priest  was 
not  galled,  however,  by  these  penetrating 
insults. 

"As  for  the  proofs,"  said  he,  softly, 
never  looking  at  Marc,  but  keeping  his 
eyes  on  my  face,  "  Monsieur  de  Ramezay 
shall  judge  whether  they  be  proofs  or 
not.  If  he  say  they  are  not,  I  am  con- 
tent." 

At  a  sign,  a  mere  turn  of  his  head  it 
seemed  to  me,  the  Indians  loosed  Marc's 
feet  to  lead  him  away. 

"Farewell,  Father,"  said  he,  in  a  firm 
voice,  and  turned  upon  me  a  look  of 
unshakable  courage. 

"  Be  of  good  heart,  son,"  I  cried  to 
him.  "  I  will  be  there,  and  this  devil 
shall  be  balked  !  " 

"  You,  Monsieur,"  said  the  priest,  still 
smiling,  "will  remain  here  for  the  present. 


v) 


The  Forge  in  the  Forest 


To-night  I  will  send  a  villager  to  loose 
your  bonds.  Then,  by  all  means,  come 
over  and  see  Monsieur  de  Ramezay  at 
Chignecto.  I  may  not  be  there  then 
mvself,  but  this  business  of  the  spy  will 
have  been  settled,  for  the  commander 
does  not  waste  time  in  such  small  mat- 
ters ! " 

He  turned  away  to  follow  his  painted 
band,  and  I,  shaking  in  my  impotent 
rage  and  fear,  called  after  him  :  — 

"As  God  lives  and  is  my  witness,  if 
the  lad  comes  to  any  harm,  these  hands 
will  visit  it  upon  you  an  hundredfold,  till 
you  scream  for  death's  mercy  !  " 

But  the  Black  Abbe  moved  off  as  if 
he  heard  no  word,  and  left  me  a  twisted 
heap  upon  the  turf,  gnawing  fiercely  at 
the  tough  deer-hide  of  my  bonds. 


Chapter    III 

Tamin's  Little  Stratagem 

HAD  been  gnawing,  gnawing  in  an 
anguish  at  the  thongs,  for  perhaps 
five  minutes.  There  had  been  no  more 
than  time  for  the  Abbe's  wolf-pack  to 
vanish  by  a  turn  of  the  road.  Suddenly 
a  keen  blade  slit  the  thongs  that  bound 
my  wrists.  Then  my  feet  felt  them- 
selves free.  I  sat  up,  astonished,  and 
saw  stooping  over  me  the  droll,  broad 
face  of  Tamin  the  Fisher,  —  or  Tamin 
Violet,  as  he  was  rightly,  though  sel- 
dom, called.  His  mouth  was  solemn,  as 
always,  having  never  been  known  to 
wear  a  smile ;  but  the  little  wrinkles 
laughed  about  his  small  bright  eyes.  I 
sprang  up  and   grasped  his  hand. 

"  We  must  not  lose  a  moment,  Tamin, 
my  friend  !  "  I  panted,  dragging  him  into 
the  thick  shade  of  the  wood. 

33 


34  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  I  was  thinking  you  might  be  in  a 
hurry,  M'sieu,"  said  my  rescuer.  "But 
unless  the  mouse  wants  to  be  back  in 
the  same  trap  I've  just  let  it  out  of, 
you'd  better  keep  still  a  half-minute 
and  make  up  your  mind.  They've  a 
round  road  to  go,  and  we'll  go  straight !  " 

"  You  saw  it  all  ? "  I  asked,  curbing 
myself  as  best  I  could,  for  I  perceived 
the  wisdom  of  his  counsel. 

"  Oh,  ay,  M'sieu,  I  saw  it ! "  re- 
plied the  Fisher.  "  And  I  laughed  in 
my  bones  to  hear  the  lad  talk  up  to  the 
good  father.  There  was  more  than  one 
shot  went  home,  I  warrant,  for  all  the 
Black  Abbe  seemed  so  deaf  They're  fes- 
tering under  his  soutane  even  now,  be- 
Hke ! " 

"  But  come  !  "  said  I.  "  I've  got  my 
wind!"  And  we  darted  noiselessly  through 
the  cool  of  the  great  trees,  turning  a  little 
east  from  the  road. 

We  ran  silently  for  a  space,  my  com- 
panion's short  but  massive  frame  leap- 
ing, bending,  gliding  even  as  lightly  as 
my  own,  which  was    ever    as    lithe    as   a 


Tamln's  Little  Stratagem  ^5 


weasel's.  Tamin  was  a  rare  woodsman, 
as  I  marked  straightway,  though  I  had 
known  him  of  old  rather  as  a  faithful 
tenant,  and  marvellously  patient  to  sit  in 
his  boat  all  day  a-fishing  on  the  drift  of 
the  Minas  tides. 

Presently  he  spoke,  under  his  breath. 

"  Very  like,  "  said  he,  drily,  "  when  we 
come  up  to  them  they  will  all  fall  down. 
So,  we  will  take  the  lad  and  walk  away  ! 
eh,  what,  M'sieu  ?  " 

"  Only  let  us  come  up  to  them,  "  said  I, 
"and  learn  their  plans.  Then  we  will 
make  ours  !  " 

"  Something  of  theirs  I  know, "  said 
Tamin.  "  Their  canoes  are  on  the  Ca- 
nard maybe  three  furlongs  to  east  of  the 
road.  Thence  they  will  carry  the  lad  to 
de  Ramezay,  for  the  Black  Abbe  will  have 
things  in  due  form  when  he  can  conven- 
iently, and  now  it  is  plain  he  has  a  scheme 
well  ripe.  But  if  this  wind  holds,  we'll  be 
there  before  them.  My  boat  is  lying  hard 
by. " 

"  God  be  praised  !  "  I  muttered  ;  for  in 
truth  I  saw  some  light  now  for  the  first 


^6  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

time.  Presently,  drawing  near  the  road 
again,  I  heard  the  voice  of  La  Game.  We 
at  once  went  softly,  and^  avoiding  again, 
made  direct  for  where  lay  the  canoes. 
There  we  disposed  ourselves  in  a  swampy 
thicket,  with  a  little  breadth  of  water 
lying  before  and  all  the  forest  behind. 
The  canoes  lay  just  across  the  little 
water,  and  so  close  that  I  might  have 
tossed  my  cap  into  them.  The  clean 
smell  of  the  wet  salt  sedge  came  freshly 
into  the  thicket.  The  shadows  lay  long 
on  the  water.  We  had  time  to  grow  quiet, 
till  our  breathing  was  no  longer  hasty,  our 
blood  no  longer  thumped  in  our  ears.  A 
flock  of  sand-pipers,  with  thin  cries^ 
settled  to  feed  on  the  red  clay  between  the 
canoes  and  the  edge  of  the  tide.  Suddenly 
they  got  up,  and  puffed  away  in  a  flicker 
of  white  breasts  and  brown  wings ;  and  I 
laid  a  hand  on  Tamin's  shoulder.  The 
painted  band.  Marc  in  their  midst,  La 
Game  in  front,  were  coming  down  the 
slope. 

The  lad's  face  was  stern  and  scornful. 
To  my  joy  I  saw  that  there  was  to  be  no 


Tamin's   Little  Stratagem  37 

immediate  departure.  The  redskins  flung 
themselves  down  indolently.  The  Black 
Abbe  saw  his  prisoner  made  fast  to  a  tree, 
and  then,  telling  his  followers  that  he  had 
duties  at  Pereau  which  would  keep  him 
till  past  sunset,  strode  off  swiftly  up  the 
trail.  Tamin  and  I,  creeping  as  silently 
as  snakes  back  into  the  forest,  followed 
him. 

For  half  an  hour  we  followed  him, 
keeping  pace  for  pace  through  the  shadow 
of  the  wood.  Then  said  1  softly  to 
Tamin  :  — 

"  This  is  my  quarrel,  my  friend  !  Do 
you  keep  back,  and  not  bring  down  his 
vengeance  on  your  head.  '* 

"  That  for  his  vengeance  !  "  whispered 
Tamin,  with  a  derisive  gesture.  "  I  will 
take  service  with  de  Ramezay,  as  a  regular 
soldier  of  France  !  " 

"  Even  there, "  said  I,  "  his  arm  might 
reach  and  pluck  you  forth.  Keep  back 
now,  and  let  him  not  see  your  face  ! " 

"Priest  though  he  be,  M'sieu, "  urged 
Tamin,  anxiously,  "  he  is  a  mighty  man  of 
his  hands  !  " 


38  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 


I  turned  upon  him  a  face  of  scorn 
which  he  found  sufficient  answer.  Then, 
signing  to  him  to  hold  off,  I  sped  forward 
silently.  No  weapon  had  I  but  a  light 
stick  of  green  ash,  just  cut.  There  was 
smooth,  mossy  ground  along  the  trail,  and 
my  running  feet  made  no  more  sound 
than  a  cat's.  I  was  within  a  pace  of  spring- 
ing upon  his  neck,  when  he  must  have  felt 
my  coming.  He  turned  like  a  flash, 
uttered  a  piercing  signal  cry,  and  whipped 
out  a  dagger. 

'*  They'll  never  hear  it,  "  mocked  I,  and 
sent  the  dagger  spinning  with  a  smart  pass 
of  my  stick.  The  same  stroke  went  nigh 
to  breaking  his  wrist.  He  grappled  bravely, 
however,  as  I  took  him  by  the  throat,  and 
I  was  astonished  at  his  force  and  supple- 
ness. Nevertheless  the  struggle  was  but 
brief,  and  the  result  a  matter  to  be  sworn 
to  beforehand ;  for  I,  though  not  of  great 
stature,  am  stronger  than  any  other  man, 
big  or  little,  with  whom  I  have  ever  come 
to  trial ;  and  more  than  that,  when  I  was 
a  prisoner  among  the  English,  I  learned 
their  shrewd  fashion   of  wrestling.     In  a 


Tamin's  Little  Stratagem  39 


little  space  the  Black  Abbe  lay  choked 
into  submission,  after  which  I  bound  him 
in  a  way  to  endure,  and  seated  him  against 
a  tree.  Behind  him  I  caught  view  of 
Tamin,  gesturing  drolly,  whereat  I  laughed 
till  I  marked  an  amazement  growing  in 
the  priest's  malignant  eyes. 

"How  like  you  my  lesson,  good 
Father  ?  "   I  inquired. 

But  he  only  glared  upon  me.  I  sup- 
pose, having  no  speech  that  would  fitly 
express  his  feelings,  he  conceived  that  his 
silence  would  be  most  eloquent.  But  I 
could  see  that  my  next  move  startled  him. 
With  my  knife  I  cut  a  piece  from  my 
shirt,  and  made  therewith  a  neat  gag. 

"Though  you  seem  so  dumb  at  this 
present,"  said  I,  "I  suspect  that  you 
might  find  a  tongue  after  my  departure. 
Therefore  I  must  beseech  you  to  wear 
this  ornament,  for  my  sake,  for  a  little." 
And  very  civilly  prying  his  teeth  open,  I 
adjusted  the  gag. 

"  Do  not  be  afraid  !  "  I  continued.  "  I 
will  leave  you  in  this  discomfort  no 
longer  than  you  thought  it  necessary  to 


40  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

leave  me  so.  You  shall  be  free  after  to- 
morrow's sunrise,  if  not  before.  Farewell, 
good  Father,  and  may  you  rest  well ! 
Let  me  borrow  this  ring  as  a  pledge  for 
the  safe  return  of  the  fragment  of  my 
good  shirt  which  you  hold  so  obstinately 
between  your  teeth  ! "  And  drawing  his 
ring  from  his  finger  I  turned  away  and 
plunged  into  the  forest,  where  Tamin 
presently  joined  me. 

Tamin  chuckled,  deep  in  his  stomach. 

"  My  turn  now  !  "  said  he.  "  Give  me 
the  ring,  M'sieu,  and  I'll  give  you  the 
boy ! " 

"  I  see  you  take  me  ! "  said  I,  highly 
pleased  at  his  quick  discernment. 

We  now  made  way  at  leisure  back  to 
the  canoes,  and  our  plans  ripened  as  we 
went. 

Before  we  came  within  hearing  of  the 
Indians  I  gave  over  the  ring  with  final 
directions,  to  Tamin,  and  then  hastened 
toward  the  point  of  land  which  runs  far 
out  beyond  the  mouth  of  the  Habitants. 
Around  this  point,  as  I  knew,  lay  the 
little    creek-mouth  whereii     Tamin    kept 


Tamin's  Little  Stratagem  41 

his  boat.  Beyond  the  point,  perchance  a 
furlong,  was  a  narrow  sand-spit  covered 
deep  at  every  flood  tide.  In  a  thicket  of 
fir  bushes  on  the  bluff  over  against  this 
sand-spit  I  lay  down  to  wait  for  what 
Tamin  should  bring  to  pass.  I  had  some 
little  time  to  wait;  and  here  let  me  unfold, 
as  I  learned  it  after,  what  Tamin  did  whilst 
I  waited. 

About  sunset,  the  tide  being  far  out, 
and  the  Indians  beginning  to  expect  their 
Abbe's  return,  came  Tamin  to  them  run- 
ning in  haste  along  the  trail  from  Pereau, 
as  one  who  carried  orders  of  importance. 
Going  straight  to  the  chief,  he  pointed  de- 
risively at  Marc,  whose  back  was  towards 
him,  and  cried  :  — 

"  The  good  father  commands  that  you 
take  this  dog  of  a  spy  straightway  to  the 
sand-spit  that  lies  off  the  point  yonder. 
There  you  will  drive  a  strong  stake  into 
the  sand,  and  bind  the  fellow  to  it,  and 
leave  him  there,  and  return  here  to  await 
the  Abbe's  coming.  You  shall  do  no 
hurt  to  the  spy,  and  set  no  mark  upon 
him.    When  the  tide  next  ebbs  you  will  go 


42  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

again  to  the  sand-spit  and  bring  his  body 
back ;  and  if  the  Abbe  finds  any  mark 
upon  him,  you  will  get  no  pay  for  this 
venture.  You  will  make  your  camp  here 
to-night,  and  if  the  good  father  be  not 
returned  to  you  by  sunrise  to-morrow, 
you  will  go  to  meet  him  along  the  Pereau 
trail,  for  he  will  be  in  need  of  you." 

The  tall  chief  grunted,  and  eyed  him 
doubtfully.  After  a  brief  contemplation 
he  inquired,  in  broken  French  :  — 

"  How  know  you  no  lie  to  me  ^ " 

"  Here  is  the  holy  father's  ring,  in  war- 
ranty ;  and  you  shall  give  it  back  to  him 
when  he  comes." 

"  It  is  well,"  said  the  chief,  taking  the 
ring,  and  turning  to  give  some  commands 
in  his  own  guttural  tongue.  Tamin  re- 
peated his  message  word  by  word,  then 
strode  away ;  and  before  he  got  out  of 
sight  he  saw  two  canoes  put  off  for  the 
sand-spit.  Then  he  made  all  haste  to 
join  me  on  the  point. 

Long  before  he  arrived  the  canoes  had 
come  stealing  around  the  point  and  were 
drawn  up  on  the  treacherous  isle  of  sand. 


"HIS    HEAD    DROOPED    FORWARD    UPON    HIS    BREAST" 


Tamin's  Little  Stratagem  43 

My  heart  bled  for  the  horror  of  death 
which,  as  I  knew,  must  now  be  clutching 
at  Marc's  soul ;  but  I  kept  telling  myself 
how  soon  I  would  make  him  glad.  It 
wanted  yet  three  hours  or  more  till  the 
tide  should  cover  the  sand-spit.  I  lay 
very  still  among  the  young  fir  trees,  so 
that  a  wood-mouse  ran  within  an  arm's 
length  of  my  face,  till  it  caught  the  mov- 
ing of  my  eyes  and  scurried  off  with  a 
frightened  squeak.  I  heard  the  low 
change  in  the  note  of  the  tide  as  the 
first  of  the  flood  began  to  creep  in  upon 
the  weeds  and  pebbles.  Then  with  some 
farewell  taunts,  to  which  Marc  answered 
not  a  word,  the  savages  went  again  to 
their  canoes  and  paddled  off  swiftly. 

When  they  had  become  but  specks  on 
the  dim  water,  I  doffed  my  clothes,  took 
my  knife  between  my  teeth,  and  swam 
across  to  the  sand-spit.  There  was  a  low 
moon,  obscured  by  thin  and  slowly  drift- 
ing clouds,  and  as  I  swam  through  the 
faint  trail  of  it.  Marc  must  have  seen  me 
coming.  Nevertheless  he  gave  no  sign, 
and  I  could  see  that  his  head  drooped  for- 


44  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

ward  upon  his  breast.  An  awful  fear  came 
down  upon  me,  and  for  a  second  or  two  I 
was  like  to  sink,  so  numb  I  turned  at  the 
thought  that  perchance  the  savages  had 
put  the  knife  to  him  before  quitting.  I 
recovered,  however,  as  I  called  to  mind 
the  orders  which  Tamin  had  rehearsed  to 
me  ere  starting  on  his  venture ;  for  I 
knew  how  sorely  the  Black  Abbe  was 
feared  by  his  savage  flock.  What  they 
deemed  him  to  have  commanded,  that 
would  they  do. 

Drawing  closer  now,  I  felt  the  ground 
beneath  my  feet. 

"  Marc,"  I  called  softly,  "  I'm  coming, 
lad ! " 

The  drooped  head  was  lifted. 

"  Father  !  "  he  exclaimed.  And  there 
was  something  like  a  sob  in  that  cry  of 
joy.  It  caught  my  heart  strangely,  telling 
me  he  was  still  a  boy  for  all  he  had  borne 
himself  so  manfully  in  the  face  of  sudden 
and  appalling  peril.  Now  the  long  ten- 
sion was  loosed.  He  was  alone  with  me. 
As  I  sprang  to  him  and  cut  the  thongs 
that   held  him,  one   arm  went  about  my 


Tamin's   Little  Stratagem  45 

neck  and  I  was  held  very  close  for  the 
space  of  some  few  heart-beats.  Then  he 
fetched  a  deep  breath,  stretched  his  cramped 
limbs  this  way  and  that,  and  said  simply, 
"  I  knew  you  would  come.  Father !  I 
knew  you  would  find  a  way  !  " 


Chapter  IV 
The  Governor's  Signature 

THE  clouds  slipped  clear  of  the 
moon's  face,  and  we  three  — 
Marc,  I,  and  the  stake  —  cast  sudden 
long  black  shadows  which  led  all  the  way 
down  to  the  edge  of  the  increeping  tide. 
I  looked  at  the  shadows,  and  a  shudder 
passed  through  me  as  if  a  cold  hand  had 
been  laid  upon  my  back.  Marc  stood  off 
a  little,  —  never  have  I  seen  such  quick 
control,  such  composure,  in  one  so  inex- 
perienced, —  and  remarked  to  me  :  — 

"  What  a  figure  of  a  man  you  are. 
Father,  to  be  sure  ! " 

I  fell  into  his  pretence  of  lightness  at 
once,  a  high  relief  after  the  long  and 
deadly  strain ;  and  I  laughed  with  some 
pleasure  at  the  praise.  In  very  truth,  I 
cherished  a  secret  pride  in  my  body, 

46 


The  Governor's  Signature  47 

"  *Tis  well  enough,  no  doubt,  in  a  dim 
light,"  said  I,  "  though  by  now  surely 
somewhat  battered  !  " 

Marc  was  already  taking  off  his  clothes. 
As  he  knotted  them  into  a  convenient 
bundle,  there  came  from  the  woods,  a 
little  way  back  of  the  point,  the  hollow 
"  Too-hoo-hoo-whoo-00  !  "  of  the  small 
gray  owl. 

"  There's  Tamin  !  "  said  I,  and  was  on 
the  point  of  answering  in  like  fashion, 
when  the  cry  was  reiterated  twice. 

"  That  means  danger,  and  much  need 
of  haste  for  us,"  I  growled.  Together 
we  ran  down  into  the  tide,  striking  out 
with  long  strokes  for  the  fine  white  line 
that  seethed  softly  along  the  dark  base  of 
the  point.  I  commended  the  lad  might- 
ily for  his  swimming,  as  we  scrambled 
upon  the  beach  and  slipped  swiftly  into 
our  clothes.  Though  carrying  his  bundle 
on  his  head,  he  had  given  me  all  I  could 
do  to  keep  abreast  of  him. 

We  climbed  the  bluff,  and  ran  through 
the  wet,  keen-scented  bushes  toward 
the   creek  where  lay  the   boat.      Ere  we 


48  The  Forge  In  the  Forest 

had  gone  half-way  Tamin  met  us,  breath- 
less. 

"  What  danger  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  think  they're  coming  back  to  tuck 
the  lad  in  for  the  night,  and  see  that 
he's  comfortable  ! "  replied  Tamin,  pant- 
ing heavily.  ''  I  heard  paddles  when  they 
should  have  been  long  out  of  earshot." 

"  Something  has  put  them  in  doubt !  *' 
said  Marc. 

"  Sure,"  said  I,  "  and  not  strange,  if  one 
but  think  of  it !  " 

"  Yet  I  told  them  a  fair  tale,"  panted 
Tamin,  as  he  went  on  swiftly  toward  his 
boat. 

The  boat  lay  yet  some  yards  above  the 
edge  of  tide,  having  been  run  aground 
near  high  water.  The  three  of  us  were 
not  long  in  dragging  her  down  and  get- 
ting her  afloat.  Then  came  the  question 
that  was  uppermost. 

"  Which  v/ay  ?  "  asked  Tamin,  laconi- 
cally, taking  the  tiller,  while  Marc  stood 
by  to  hoist  the  dark  and  well-patched  sail. 

I  considered  the  wind  for  some  mo- 
ments. 


The  Governor's  Signature  49 

"  For  Chignecto  !  "  said  I,  with  empha- 
sis. "  We  must  see  de  Ramezay  and  settle 
this  hound  La  Game.  Otherwise  Marc 
stands  in  hourly  peril." 

As  the  broad  sail  drew,  and  the  good 
boat,  leaning  well  over,  gathered  v/ay, 
and  the  small  waves  swished  and  gurgkd 
merrily  under  her  quarter,  I  could  hardly 
withhold  from  laughing  for  sheer  glad- 
ness. Marc  was  already  smoking  with 
great  composure  beside  the  mast,  his  lean 
face  thoughtful,  but  untroubled.  He 
looked,  I  thought,  almost  as  old  as  his 
war-battered  sire  who  now  watched  him 
with  so  proud  an  eye.  Presently  I  heard 
Tamin  fetch  a  succession  of  mighty 
breaths,  as  he  emptied  and  filled  the 
ample  bellows  of  his  lungs.  He  snatched 
the  green  and  yellow  cap  of  knitted  wool 
from  his  head,  and  let  the  wind  cool  the 
sv/eating  black  tangle  that  coarsely  thatched 
his  broad  skull. 

"  Hein  ! "  he  exclaimed,  with  a  droll 
glance  at  Marc,  "that's  better  than  that!'' 
And  he  made  an  expressive  gesture  as  of 
setting  a  knife  to  his  scalp.     To  me  this 


50  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

seemed  much  out  of  place  and  time ;  but 
Tamin  was  ever  privileged  in  the  eyes  of 
a  de  Mer,  so  I  grumbled  not.  As  for 
Marc,  that  phantom  of  a  smile,  which  I 
had  already  learned  to  watch  for,  just 
touched  his  lips,  as  he  remarked  calmly : 

"  Vraiment,  much  better.  That,  as  you 
call  it,  my  Tamin,  came  so  near  to-night 
that  my  scalp  needs  no  cooling  since  !  '* 

"But  whither  steering?"  I  inquired; 
for  the  boat  was  speeding  south-eastward, 
straight  toward  Grand  Pre. 

Tamin's  face  told  plainly  that  he  had 
his  reasons,  and  I  doubted  not  that  they 
were  good.  For  some  moments  that 
wide,  grave  mouth  opened  not  to  make 
reply,  while  the  little,  twinkHng,  contra- 
dictory eyes  were  fixed  intently. on  some 
far-off  landmark,  to  me  invisible.  This 
point  being  made  apparently  to  his  satis- 
faction, he  relaxed  and  explained. 

"  You  see,  M'sieu,"  said  he,  "  we  must 
get  under  the  loom  o'  the  shore,  so's  we'll 
be  out  of  sight  when  the  canoes  come  round 
the  point.  If  they  see  a  sail,  at  this  time 
o*  night,  they'll  suspicion  the  whole  thing 


The  Governor's  Signature  51 

and  be  after  us.  Better  let  'em  amuse 
themselves  for  a  spell  hunting  for  the  lad 
on  dry  land,  so's  we  won't  be  rushed. 
Been  enough  rush !  " 

"  Yes  !  Yes ! "  assented  I,  scanning 
eagerly  the  point  behind  us.  And  Marc 
said :  — 

"  Very  great  is  your  sagacity,  my  Tamin. 
The  Black  Abbe  fooled  himself  when  he 
forgot  to  take  you  into  his  reckoning ! " 

At  this  speech  the  little  wrinkles 
gathered  thicker  about  Tamin's  eyes. 
At  length,  deeming  us  to  have  gone  far 
enough  to  catch  the  loom  of  the  land,  as 
it  lay  for  one  watching  from  the  sand-spit, 
Tamin  altered  our  course,  and  we  ran  up 
the  basin.  Just  then  we  marked  two 
canoes  rounding  the  point.  They  were 
plainly  visible  to  us,  and  I  made  sure  we 
should  be  seen  at  once ;  but  a  glance  at 
Tamin's  face  reassured  me.  The  Fisher 
understood,  as  few  even  among  old  woods- 
men understand  it,  the  lay  of  the  shadow- 
belts  on  a  wide  water  at  night. 

Noiselessly  we  lowered  our  sail  and  lay 
drifting,  solicitous  to  mark  what  the  sav- 


52  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

ages  might  do.  The  sand-spit  was  by  this 
so  small  that  from  where  we  lay  it  was  not 
to  be  discerned ;  but  we  observed  the 
Indians  run  their  canoes  upon  it,  disem- 
bark, and  stoop  to  examine  the  footprints 
in  the  sand.  In  a  moment  or  two  they 
embarked  again,  and  paddled  straight  to 
the  point. 

"  Shrewd  enough  !"  said  Marc. 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  "  and  now  they'll  track 
us  straight  to  Tamin's  creek,  and  under- 
stand that  we've  taken  the  boat.  But  they 
won't  know  what  direction  we've  taken  !  " 

"No,  M'sieu,"  muttered  Tamin,  "but 
no  use  loafing  round  here  till  they  find 
out ! " 

Which  being  undoubted  wisdom  of 
Tamin's,  we  again  hoisted  sail  and  con- 
tinued our  voyage. 

•  Having  run  some  miles  up  the  Basin, 
we  altered  our  course  and  stood  straight 
across  for  the  northern  shore.  We  now 
felt  secure  from  pursuit,  holding  it  highly 
improbable  that  the  savages  would  guess 
our  purpose  and  destination.  As  we  sat 
contenting  our  eyes  with  the  great  belly- 


The  Governor's  Signature  ^^ 

ing  of  the  sail,  and  the  fine  flurries  of 
spray  that  ever  and  again  flashed  up  from 
our  speeding  prow,  and  the  silver-blue 
creaming  of  our  wake,  Marc  gave  us  a 
surprise.  Thrusting  his  hand  into  the 
bosom  of  his  shirt  he  drew  out  a  packet 
and  handed  it  to  me. 

"  Here,  perhaps,  are  the  proofs  on  which 
the  gentle  Abbe  relied  !  "  said  he. 

Taking  the  packet  mechanically,  I  stared 
at  the  lad  in  astonishment.  But  there  was 
no  information  to  be  gathered  from  that 
inscrutable  countenance,  so  I  presently  rec- 
ollected myself,  and  unfolded  the  papers. 
There  were  two  of  them.  The  moon  was 
partly  clear  at  the  moment,  and  I  made 
out  the  first  to  be  an  order,  written  in 
English,  on  one  Master  Nathaniel  Ap- 
thorp,  merchant,  of  Boston,  directing  him 
to  pay  Master  Marc  de  Mer,  of  Grand 
Pre  in  Nova  Scotia,  the  sum  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds.  It  was  signed 
"  Paul  Mascarene,  Gov  of  Nova  Scotia.'* 
The  other  paper  was  written  in  finer  and 
more  hasty  characters,  and  I  could  not 
decipher  it  in    the  uncertain  light.     But 


54  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

the  signature  was  the  same  as  that  ap- 
pended to  the  order  on  Mr.  Apthorp. 

"  I  cannot  decipher  this  one,  in  this  bad 
light/'  said  I ;  "  but  what  does  it  all  mean, 
Marc  ?  How  comes  the  English  Gov- 
ernor to  be  owing  you  two  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds  ?  '* 

"  Does  he  owe  me  two  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds  ?  That's  surely  news  of  in- 
terest ! "  said  Marc. 

I  looked  at  him,  amazed. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  don't 
know  what  is  in  these  papers  ?  "  I  inquired, 
handing  them  back. 

"  How  should  I  know  that  ? "  said 
Marc,  with  a  calmness  which  was  not  a 
little  irritating.  "  They  were  placed  in  my 
pocket  by  the  good  Abbe ;  and  since  then 
my  opportunities  of  reading  have  been  but 
scant ! " 

Tamin  ejaculated  a  huge  grunt  of  indig- 
nant comprehension  ;  and  I,  beholding  all 
at  once  the  whole  wicked  device,  threw  up 
my  hands  and  fell  to  whistling  an  idle  air. 
It  seemed  to  me  a  case  for  which  curses 
would  seem  but  tame  and  pale. 


The  Governor's  Signature  ^^ 

"  This  other,  then,"  said  I,  presently, 
"  must  be  a  letter  that  would  seem  to  have 
been  written  to  you  by  the  Governor,  and 
worded  in  such  a  fashion  as  to  compro- 
mise you  plainly  !  " 

"  'Tis  altogether  probable.  Father,'*  re- 
plied Marc,  musingly,  as  he  scanned  the 
page.  He  was  trying  to  prove  his  own 
eyesight  better  than  mine,  but  found  the 
enterprise  beyond  him,  —  as  I  knew  he 
would. 

"  I  can  make  out  nothing  of  this  other, 
save  the  signature,"  he  continued.  "  We 
must  even  wait  for  daylight.  And  in  the 
meanwhile  I  think  you  had  better  keep 
the  packet.  Father,  for  I  feel  my  wits  and 
my  experience  something  lacking  in  this 
snarl." 

I  took  the  papers  and  hid  them  in  a 
deep  pocket  which  I  wore  within  the  bosom 
of  my  shirt. 

"  The  trap  was  well  set,  and  deadly, 
lad,"  said  I,  highly  pleased  at  his  confi- 
dence in  my  wisdom  to  conduct  the  affair. 
"  But  trust  me  to  spring  it.  Whatever 
this  other  paper  may  contain,  de  Ramezay 


^6  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

shall  see  them  both  and  understand  the 
whole  plot." 

"  'Twill  be  hard  to  explain  away/'  said 
Marc,  doubtfully,  "  if  it  be  forged  with  any 
fair  degree  of  skill !  " 

"  Trust  my  credit  with  de  Ramezay  for 
that.  It  is  something  the  Black  Abbe  has 
not  reckoned  upon  ! "  said  I,  with  assur- 
ance, stuffing  my  pipe  contentedly  with 
the  right  Virginia  leaf.  Marc,  being  well 
tired  with  all  that  he  had  undergone  that 
day,  laid  his  head  on  the  cuddy  and  was 
presently  sound  asleep.  In  a  low  voice, 
not  to  disturb  the  slumberer,  I  talked  with 
Tamin,  and  learned  how  he  had  chanced 
to  come  so  pat  upon  me  in  my  bonds. 
He  had  been  on  the  way  up  to  the  Forge, 
coming  not  by  che  trail,  but  straight 
through  the  forest,  when  he  caught  a  view 
of  the  Indians,  and  took  alarm  at  the 
stealth  of  their  approach.  He  had  tracked 
them  with  a  cunning  beyond  their  own, 
and  so  achieved  to  outdo  them  with  their 
own  weapons. 

The  moon  now  swam  clear  in  the  naked 
sky,  the  clouds  lying  far  below.     By  the 


The  Governor's  Signature  57 


broad  light  I  ^could  see  very  well  to  read 
the  letter.  It  was  but  brief,  and  ran 
thus : — 

To  my  good  Friend  and  trusted  Helper  Monsieur 
Marc  de  Mer  :  — 

Dear  Sir, — As  touching  the  affair  which 
you  have  so  prudently  carried  through,  and  my 
gratitude  for  your  so  good  help,  permit  the  en- 
closed order  on  Master  Apthorp  to  speak  for 
me.  If  I  might  hope  that  you  would  find  it  in 
your  heart  and  within  your  convenience  to  put 
me  under  yet  weightier  obligations,  I  would  be 
so  bold  as  to  desire  an  exact  account  of  the 
forces  at  Chignecto,  and  .of  the  enterprize  upon 
which  Monsieur  de  Ramezay  is  purposing  to 
employ  them. 

Believe  me  to  be,  my  dear  Sir,  yours  with 
high  esteem  and  consideration, 

Paul  Mascarene. 

With  a  wonder  of  indignation  I  read  it 
through,  and  then  again  aloud  to  Tamin, 
who  cursed  the  author  with  such  ingenious 
Acadian  oaths  as  made  me  presently  smile. 

"  It  is  right  shrewdly  devised,"  said  I, 
"  but  the  deviser  knew  little  of  the  blunt 


58  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

English  Governor,  or  never  would  he  have 
made  him  write  with  such  courtly  circum- 
locutions. De  Ramezay,  very  like,  will 
have  seen  communications  of  Mascarene's 
before  now,  and  will  scarce  fail  to  note  the 
disagreement." 

"  The  fox  has  been  known  to  file  his 
tongue  too  smooth,"  said  Tamin,  senten- 
tiously. 

By  this  we  were  come  over  against  the 
huge  black  front  of  Blomidon,  but  our 
course  lay  far  outside  the  shadow  of  his 
frown,  in  the  silvery  run  of  the  seas.  The 
moon  floated  high  over  the  great  Cape, 
yellow  as  gold,  and  the  bare  sky  was  like 
an  unruffled  lake.  Far  behind  us  opened 
the  mouth  of  the  Piziquid  stream,  a  bright 
gap  in  the  dark  but  vague  shore-line.  On 
our  right  the  waters  unrolled  without  ob- 
struction till  they  mixed  pallidly  with  the 
sky  in  the  mouth  of  Cobequid  Bay.  Five 
miles  ahead  rose  the  lofty  shore  which 
formed  the  northern  wall  of  Minas  Chan- 
nel, —  grim  and  forbidding  enough  by 
day ;  but  now,  in  such  fashion  did  the 
moonlight  fall  along  it,  wearing  a  face  of 


The  Governor's  Signature  59 

fairyland,  and  hinting  of  fountained  pal- 
aces in  its  glens  and  high  hollows.  After 
I  had  filled  my  heart  with  the  fairness  and 
the  wonder  of  it,  I  lay  down  upon  a  thwart 
and  fell  asleep.. 


Chapter  V 
In  the  Run  of  the  Seas 

T  seemed  as  if  I  had  but  fairly  got  my 
eyes  shut,  when  I  was  awakened  by  a 
violent  pitching  of  the  boat.  I  sat  up, 
grasping  the  gunwale,  and  saw  Marc  just 
catching  my  knee  to  rouse  me.  The  boat, 
heeling  far  over,  and  hauled  close  to  the 
wind,  was  heading  a  little  up  the  channel 
and  straight  for  a  narrow  inlet  which  I 
knew  to  be  the  jomt  mouth  of  two  small 
rivers. 

"  Where  are  you  going  ?  Why  is  our 
course  changed  ?  "  I  asked  sharply,  being 
nettled  by  a  sudden  notion  that  they  had 
made  some  change  of  plan  without  my 
counsel. 

"  Look  yonder.  Father ! "  said  Marc, 
pointing. 

I  looked,  and  my  heart  shook  with 
60 


In  the  Run  of  the  Seas  6i 

mingled  wrath  and  apprehension.  Be- 
hind us  followed  three  canoes,  urged  on 
by  sail  and  paddle. 

"  They  outsail  us  ^  "  I  inquired. 

"Ay,  before  the  wind,  they  do,  M'sieu  !  " 
said  Tamin.  "  On  this  tack,  maybe  not. 
We'll  soon  see  !  " 

"  But  what's  this  but  a  mere  trap  we 
are  running  our  heads  into  ^  "  I  urged. 

"  I  fear  there's  nothing  else  but  to  quit 
the  boat  and  make  through  the  woods, 
Father,"  explained  Marc ;  "  that  is,  if 
we're  so  fortunate  as  to  keep  ahead  till  we 
reach  land." 

"In  the  woods,  I  suppose,  we  can  out- 
wit them  or  outfoot  them,"  said  I;  "but 
those  Micmacs  are  untiring  on  the  trail." 

"  I  know  a  good  man  with  a  good  boat 
over  by  Shulie  on  the  Fundy  shore,"  in- 
terposed Tamin.  "  And  I  know  the  way 
over  the  hills.  We'll  cheat  the  rogue  of 
a  priest  yet ! "  And  he  shrewdly  meas- 
ured the  distance  that  parted  us  from 
our  pursuers.   ' 

"  It  galls  me  to  be  running  from  these 
dogs  !  "  I  growled. 


62  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  Our  turn  will  come,"  said  Marc, 
glowering  darkly  at  the  canoes.  "  Do 
you  guess  the  Black  Abbe  is  with 
them  ? " 

"  Not  he  !  "  grunted  Tamin. 

"  Things  may  happen  this  time,"  said 
I,  "  and  the  good  father  may  wish  to  keep 
his  soutane  clear  of  them.  It's  all  plain 
enough  to  me  now.  The  Indians,  find- 
ing themselves  tricked,  have  gone  back  on 
the  Pereau  trail  and  most  inopportunely 
have  released  the  gentle  Abbe  from  his 
bonds.  He  has  seen  through  our  game, 
and  has  sent  his  pack  to  look  to  it  that 
we  never  get  to  de  Ramezay.  But  he 
will  have  no  hand  in  it.     Oh,  no  !  " 

"  What's  plain  to  me  now,"  interrupted 
Tamin,  with  some  anxiety  in  his  voice, 
"  is  that  they're  gaining  on  us  fast. 
They've  put  down  leeboards ;  an'  with 
leeboards  down  a  Micmac  canoe's  hard 
to  beat." 

"  Oh  !  "  I  exclaimed  bitterly,  "  if  we 
had  but  our  muskets !  Fool  that  I 
was,  thus  to  think  to  save  time  and  not 
go   back   for   our    weapons !      Trust  me, 


In  the  Run  of  the  Seas  6;^ 

lad,  it's  the  first  time  that  Jean  de  Mer 
has  had  that  particular  kind  of  folly  to 
repent  of!  ** 

"  But  there  was  nought  else  for  it," 
Father,"  said  Marc.  "  And  if,  as  seems 
most  possible,  we  come  to  close  quarters 
presently,  we  are  not  so  naked  as  we 
might  be.  Here's  your  two  pistols,  my 
good  whinger,  and  Tamin's  fishy  dirk. 
And  Tamin's  gaff  here  will  make  a 
pretty  lance.  It  is  borne  in  upon  me 
that  some  of  the  good  Abbe's  lambs  will 
bleat  for  their  shepherd  before  this  night's 
work  be  done  !  " 

There  was  a  steady  light  in  his  eyes 
that  rejoiced  me  much,  and  his  voice  rose 
and  fell  as  if  fain  to  break  into  a  war 
song ;  and  I  said  to  myself,  "  The  boy 
is  a  fighter,  and  the  fire  is  in  his  blood, 
for  all  his  scholar's  prating  of  peace  ! " 
Yet  he  straightway  turned  his  back  upon 
the  enemy  and  with  great  indifference  went 
to  filling  his  pipe. 

"  Ay,  an'  there  be  a  right  good  gun  in 
the  cuddy  ! "  grunted  Tamin,  after  a  sec- 
ond or  two  of  silence. 


64  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  The  saints  be  praised  ! "  said  I.  And 
Marc's  long  arm  reached  in  to  capture  it. 
It  was  a  huge  weapon,  and  my  heart  beat 
high  at  sight  of  it.  Marc  caressed  it  for 
an  instant,  then  reluctantly  passed  it  to 
me,  with  the  powder-horn. 

"  I  can  shoot,  a  little,  myself,"  said  he, 
"  but  I  would  be  presumptuous  to  boast 
when  you  were  by,  Father  !  " 

"  Ay,  vraiment,"  said  Tamin,  sharply  ; 
"don't  think  you  can  shoot  with  the  Sieur 
de  Briart  yet !  " 

"  I  don't,"  replied  Marc,  simply,  as  he 
handed  me  out  a  pouch  of  bullets  and  a 
pouch  of  slugs. 

The  pursuing  canoes  were  by  this  come 
within  fair  range.  There  came  a  strident 
hail  from  the  foremost :  — 

"  Lay  to,  or  we  shoot !  " 

"  Shoot,  dogs  !  "  I  shouted,  ramming 
home  the  good  measure  of  powder  which 
1  had  poured  into  my  hand.  I  followed 
it  with  a  fair  charge  of  slugs,  and  was 
wadding  it  loosely,  when  — 

"  Duck  !  "  cries  Tamin,  bobbing  his 
head  lower  than  the  tiller. 


"  the  result  of  the  shot  was  all  that  we  could 

desire" 


In  the  Run  of  the  Seas  6^ 

Neither  Marc  nor  I  moved  a  hair. 
But  we  gazed  at  the  canoes.  On  the 
instant  two  red  flames  blazed  out,  with 
a  redoubled  bang ;  and  one  bullet  went 
through  the  sail  a  little  above  my  head. 

"  Not  bad  !  "  said  Marc,  glancing  tran- 
quilly at  the  bullet  hole. 

But  for  my  own  part,  I  was  angry. 
To  be  fired  upon  thus,  at  a  priest's  orders, 
by  a  pack  of  scurvy  savages  in  the  pay  of 
our  own  party,  —  never  before  had  Jean 
de  Briart  been  put  to  such  indignity.  I 
kneeled,  and  took  a  very  cautious  aim,  — 
not,  however,  at  the  savages,  but  at  the 
bow  of  the  nearest  canoe. 

Tamin's  big  gun  clapped  like  a  cannon, 
and  kicked  my  shoulder  very  vilely.  But 
the  result  of  the  shot  was  all  that  we  could 
desire.  As  I  made  haste  to  load  again  I 
noticed  that  the  savage  in  the  bow  had 
fallen  backward  in  his  place,  hit  by  a  stray 
slug.  The  bulk  of  the  charge,  however, 
had  torn  a  great  hole  in  the  bark,  close  to 
the  water-line. 

"  You've  done  it.  Father  !  "  said  Marc, 
in  a  tone  of  quiet  exultation. 


66  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  Hein  !  '*  grunted  Tamin.  "  They 
don't  hke  the  wet !  " 

The  canoe  was  going  down  by  the 
bow.  The  other  two  craft  ranged  hur- 
riedly alongside,  and  took  in  the  gesticu- 
lating crew,  —  all  but  one,  whom  they 
left  in  the  stern  to  paddle  the  damaged 
canoe  to  land,  being  loth  to  lose  a  service- 
able craft.  With  broken  bow  high  in  air 
the  canoe  spun  around,  and  sped  off  up 
the  Basin  before  the  wind.  The  remain- 
ing two  resumed  the  chase  of  us.  We 
had  gained  a  great  space  during  the  con- 
fusion, yet  they  came  up  upon  us  fast. 

But  now,  ere  I  judged  them  to  be 
within  gunshot,  they  slackened  speed. 

"  They  think  better  of  it ! "  said  I, 
raising  the  gun  again  to  my  shoulder. 
As  I  did  so  they  sheered  off  in  haste  to 
a  safer  distance. 

"  They  are  not  such  fools  as  I  had 
hoped  !  "   said  Marc. 

"  I  so  far  flatter  myself  as  to  think," 
said  I,  with  some  complacency,  "  that 
they  won't  trust  themselves  willingly  again 
within  range  of  this  good  barker." 


In  the  Run  of  the  Seas  67 

By  this  we  were  come  well  within  the 
wide  mouth  of  the  estuary,  and  a  steep, 
wooded  point  thrust  out  upon  our  right. 
All  at  once  I  muttered  a  curse  upon  my 
dulness. 

"  What  fools  we  are,  to  be  sure  ! " 
I  cried.  "  No  reason  that  we  should 
toil  across  the  mountains  to  your  good 
man's  good  boat  at  Shulie,  my  Tamin. 
Put  her  about,  and  we'll  sail  in  comfort 
around  to  Chignecto ;  and  let  these  fel- 
lows come  in  range  again  at  their  peril !  '* 

"  To  be  sure,  indeed ! "  grunted  Tamin ; 
and  with  a  lurch  and  great  flapping  we 
went  about. 

The  canoes,  indeed,  now  fled  before  us 
with  excellent  discretion.  Our  new  course 
carried  us  under  the  gloom  of  the  promon- 
tory, whence,  in  a  few  minutes,  we  shot  out 
again  into  the  moonlight.  It  was  pleas- 
ant to  see  our  antagonists  making  such 
courteous  haste  to  give  us  room.  I  could 
not  forbear  to  chuckle  over  it,  and  wished 
mightily  that  the  Black  Abbe  were  in  one 
of  the  canoes. 

"  I  fear  me  there's  to  be  no  work  for 


68  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

Tamln's  fishy  dirk  or  my  good  whinger/' 
sighed  Marc,  with  a  nice  air  of  melan- 
choly ;  and  Tamin,  with  the  little  wrinkles 
thicker  than  ever  about  his  eyes,  yelled 
droll  taunts  after  our  late  pursuers.  In 
fact,  we  were  all  three  in  immense  high 
feather,  —  when  on  a  sudden  there  came  a 
crashing  bump  that  tumbled  us  headlong, 
the  mast  went  overboard,  and  there  we 
were  stuck  fast  upon  a  sharp  rock.  The 
boat  was  crushed  in  like  an  egg-shell,  and 
lay  over  on  her  side.  The  short,  chop- 
ping seas  huddled  upon  us  in  a  smother. 
As  I  rose  up,  sputtering,  I  took  note  of 
Tamin's  woollen  cap  washing  away  debo- 
nairly, snatched  off,  belike,  by  a  taut  rope 
as  the  mast  fell.  Then,  clinging  all  three 
to  the  topmost  gunwale,  the  waves  jump- 
ing and  sousing  us  derisively,  we  stared  at 
each  other  in  speechless  dismay.  But  a 
chorus  of  triumphant  screeches  from  the 
canoes,  as  they  noted  our  mishap  and  made 
to  turn,  brought  us  to  our  senses. 

"  Nothing  for  it  but  to  swim  !  "  said  I, 
thrusting  down  the  now  useless  musket 
into  the  cuddy,  where  I  hoped  it  might 


In  the  Run  of  the  Seas  69 

stay  in  case  the  wrecked  boat  should  drift 
ashore.  It  was  drenched,  of  course,  and 
something  too  heavy  to  swim  with.  I 
emptied  the  slugs  from  my  pocket. 
Tamin  ducked  his  head  under  water  and 
fumbled  in  the  cuddy  till  1  was  on  the 
point  of  plucking  him  forth,  fearing  he 
would  drown,  —  Marc,  meanwhile,  look- 
ing on  tranquilly  and  silently,  with  that 
fleeting  remembrance  of  a  smile.  But 
now  Tamin  arose,  gasping,  with  a  small 
sack  and  a  salted  hake  in  his  hands.  The 
fish  he  passed  over  to  me. 

"  Bread,  M'sieu  !  "  said  he,  holding  up 
the  drenched  sack  in  triumph.  "  Now 
for  the  woods  !  " 

*Twas  but  the  toss  of  a  biscuit  to  shore, 
and  we  had  gained  it  ere  our  enemies  were 
come  within  gunshot.  Running  swiftly 
along  the  strip  of  beach  that  skirted  the 
steep,  we  put  the  shoulder  of  the  cape 
between,  and  were  safe  from  observation 
for  a  few  minutes. 

"  To  the  woods,  M'sieu !  "  cried  Tamin, 
in  a  suppressed  voice. 

"  No  !  '*    said    I,    sternly.      "  Straight 


70  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

■  » 

along  the  beach,  till  I  give  the  word  to 

turn  in  !     Follow  me  !  " 

"  'Tis  the  one  chance,  to  get  out  of 
sight  now ! "  grumbled  Tamin,  running 
beside  me,  and  clutching  at  his  wet  sack 
of  bread. 

"  Don't  you  suppose  he  knows  what 
he  is  doing,  my  Tamin  ? "  interrupted 
Marc.  "  'Tis  for  you  and  me  to  obey 
orders  !  " 

Tamin  growled,  but  said  no  more. 

"  Now  in  with  you  to  cover,"  I  com- 
manded, waving  my  salt  fish  as  it  had 
been  a  marshal's  baton.  At  the  same 
moment  I  turned,  ran  up  the  wet  slope 
where  a  spring  bubbled  out  of  the  wood's 
edge  and  spread  itself  over  the  stones,  and 
sprang  behind  a  thick  screen  of  viburnums. 
My  companions  were  beside  me  on  the 
instant,  —  but  it  was  not  an  instant  too 
soon.  As  we  paused  to  look  back,  there 
were  the  canoes  coming  furiously  around 
the  point. 

Staying  not  long  to  observe  them,  I 
led  the  way  straight  into  the  darkness  of 
the  woods,  aiming  for  the  seashore  at  the 


In  the  Run  of  the  Seas  71 


other  side  of  the  point.     But  Tamin  was 
not  satisfied. 

"  Our  road  lies  straight  up  yon  river," 
said  hec 

"My  friend,"  said  I,  "we  must  e'en 
find  another  road  to  Shulie.  Those  fel- 
lows will  be  sure  to  agree  that  we  have 
gone  that  way.  Knowing  that  I  am  a 
cunning  woodsman,  they  will  say, '  He  will 
make  them  to  run  in  the  water,  and  so 
leave  no  trail.'  And  they  will  give  hot 
chase  up  the  river." 

"  But  there  be  two  rivers,"  objected 
Tamin. 

"  Bien,"  said  I,  "  they  will  divide  their 
party,  and  give  hot  chase  up  two  rivers  ! " 

"  And  in  the  meanwhile  ? "  inquired 
Marc. 

"I'll  find  the  way  to  Shulie,"  said  I. 
"  The  stars  and  the  sun  are  guide  enough  ! 
I  know  the  main  lay  of  all  these  coasts." 


Chapter    VI 
Grul 

THE  undergrowth  into  which  we  had 
now  come  was  thick  and  hinder- 
ing, so  there  was  no  further  chance  of 
speech.  A  few  minutes  more  and  we 
came  out  upon  the  seaward  slope  of  the 
point.  We  pushed  straight  down  to  the 
water,  here  sheltered  from  the  wind  and 
little  troubled.  That  our  footprints 
might  be  hidden,  at  least  for  a  time,  we 
ran,  one  behind  the  other,  along  the  lip 
of  the  tide,  where  the  water  was  about 
ankle  deep.  In  the  stillness  our  splash- 
ing sounded  dangerously  loud,  and  Tamin, 
yet  in  a  grumbling  humour,  spoke  of  it. 

"  But  you  forget,  my  friend,"  said  i, 
gently,  "that  there  is  noise  and  to  spare 
where  our  enemies  are,  —  across  there  in 
the  wind!" 

72 


Grul 


73 


In  a  moment  Tamin  spoke  again, point- 
ing some  little  way  ahead. 

"  The  land  drops  away  yonder,  M'sieu, 
'twixt  the  point  and  the  main  shore ! "  he 
growled,  with  conspicuous  anxiety  in  his 
voice.  He  was  no  trembler;  but  it  fretted 
him  to  be  taking  what  he  deemed  the 
weaker  course.  "  Nothing,"  he  added, 
"  but  a  bit  of  bare  beach  that  the  waves 
go  over  at  spring  tides  when  the  wind's 
down  the  Basin  !  " 

I  paused  in  some  dismay.  But  my 
mind  was  made  up. 

"We  must  go  on,"  said  I.  "  But  we 
will  stoop  low,  and  lose  no  time  in  the 
passage.      They'll  scarce  be  landed  yet." 

And  now,  as  I  came  to  see  how  low 
indeed  that  strip  of  perilous  beach  was,  I 
somewhat  misdoubted  of  success  in  getting 
by  unseen.  But  we  went  a  little  deeper  in 
the  tide,  and  bowed  our  bodies  with  great 
humbleness,  and  so  passed  over  with  painful 
effort  but  not  a  little  speed.  Being  come 
again  under  shelter,  we  straightened  our- 
selves, well  pleased,  fetched  a  deep  breath 
or  two,  and  ran  on  with  fresh  celerity. 


74  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  But  if  a  redskin  should  think  to 
step  over  the  beach,  there'd  be  our  goose 
cooked  !  "   muttered  Tamin. 

"  Well  said  !  "  I  answered.  "  There- 
fore let  us  strike  inland  at  once  !  "  And 
I  led  the  way  again  into  the  darkness  of 
the  forest. 

Dark  as  it  was,  there  was  yet  light 
enough  from  the  moon  to  enable  me  to 
direct  my  course  as  I  wished.  I  struck 
well  west  of  the  course  which  would  have 
taken  us  most  speedily  to  Shulie,  being 
determined  to  avoid  the  valley  of  the 
stream  which  I  considered  our  pursuers 
were  most  likely  to  ascend.  To  satisfy 
Tamin's  doubts  I  explained  my  purpose, 
which  was  to  aim  straight  for  Shulie  as 
soon  as  we  were  over  the  water-shed. 
And  I  must  do  him  the  justice  to  say 
he  was  content,  beginning  now  to  come 
more  graciously  to  my  view.  We  went 
but  slowly,  climbing,  ever  climbing.  At 
times  we  would  be  groping  through  a 
great  blackness  of  hemlocks.  Again  the 
forest  would  be  more  open,  a  mingling 
of    fir    trees,    and    birches,    and    maples. 


Grul  75 

Coming  at  last  to  more  level  ground, 
we  were  still  much  hindered  by  innu- 
merable rocks,  amid  which  the  under- 
brush and  wild  vines  prepared  pitfalls  for 
our  weary  feet.  But  I  was  not  yet  will- 
ing to  call  a  halt  for  breath.  On,  on  we 
stumbled,  the  wet  branches  buffeting  our 
faces,  but  a  cool  and  pleasant  savour 
of  the  wild  herbs  which  we  trod  upon 
ever  exhaling  upwards  to  refresh  our 
senses.  As  we  crossed  a  little  grassy 
glade,  I  observed  that  Marc  had  come 
to  Tamin's  help,  and  was  carrying  the 
sack  of  bread.  I  observed,  also,  that 
Tamin's  face  was  drawn  with  fatigue, 
and  that  he  went  with  a  kind  of  dogged 
heaviness.  I  took  pity  upon  him.  We 
had  put,  I  guessed,  good  miles  between 
ourselves  and  our  pursuers,  and  I  felt 
that  we  were,  in  all  reason,  safe  for  the 
time.  At  the  further  limit  of  the  glade 
there  chattered  a  shallow  brook,  whose 
sweet  noise  reminded  me  that  I  was 
parched  with  thirst.  The  pallor  of  first 
dawn  was  now  coming  into  the  sky,  and 
the   tree  tops  began  to  lift  and  float   in 


76  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

an  aerial  grayness.  I  glanced  at  Marc, 
and  his  eyes  met  mine  with  a  keen 
brightness  that  told  me  he  was  yet  un- 
wearied.    Nevertheless  I  cried  :  — 

"  Halt,  and  fall  out  for  breakfast." 
And  with  the  words  I  flung  myself  down 
by  the  brook,  thrust  my  burning  face 
into  the  babbling  chill  of  it,  and  drank 
luxuriously.  Tamin  was  beside  me  in  an 
instant;  but  Marc  slaked  his  thirst  at 
more  leisure,  when  he  had  well  enjoyed 
watching  our  satisfaction. 

We  lay  for  a  little,  till  the  sky  was 
touched  here  and  there  with  saffron  and 
flying  wisps  of  pink,  and  we  began  to  see 
the  colour  of  grass  and  leaves.  Then  we 
made  our  meal,  —  a  morsel  each  of  the 
salt  hake  which  I  had  clung  to  through 
our  flight,  and  some  bits  of  Tamin's  black 
bread.  This  bread  was  wholesome,  as  I 
well  knew,  and  to  our  hunger  it  was  not 
unsavoury  ;  but  it  was  of  a  hardness  which 
the  sea-water  had  scarce  availed  to  mitigate. 

As  we  ground  hastily  upon  the  meagre 
fare,  I  felt,  rather  than  heard,  a  presence 
come  behind  me.     I  turned  my  head  with 


Grul  77 

a  start,  and  at  the  same  instant  heard  a 
high,  plangent  voice,  close  beside  us,  cry- 
ing slowly  :  — 

"  Woe,  woe  to  Acadie  the  Fair,  for  the 
day  of  her  desolation  cometh." 

It  was  an  astonishing  figure  upon  which 
my  eyes  fell,  —  a  figure  which  might  have 
been  grotesque,  but  was  not.  Instead  of 
laughing,  my  heart  thrilled  with  a  kind  of 
awe.  The  man  was  not  old,  —  his  frame 
was  erect  and  strong  with  manhood ;  but 
the  long  hair  hanging  about  his  neck  was 
white,  the  long  beard  streaming  upon  his 
half-naked  breast  was  white.  He  wore 
leathern  breeches,  and  the  upper  portion 
of  his  body  was  covered  only  by  a  cloak 
of  coarse  woollen  stuff,  woven  in  a  staring 
pattern  of  black  and  yellow.  On  his  head 
was  a  rimless  cap  of  plaited  straw,  with  a 
high,  pointed  crown ;  and  this  was  stuck 
full  of  gaudy  flowers  and  feathers.  From 
the  point  of  the  crown  rose  the  stump  of 
what  had  been,  belike,  a  spray  of  golden- 
rod,  broken  by  a  hasty  journeying  through 
the  obstructions  of  the  forest.  The  man's 
eyes,  of  a  wild   and   flaming   blue,  fixed 


78  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

themselves  on  mine.  In  one  hand  he 
carried  a  white  stick,  with  a  grotesque 
carven  head,  dyed  scarlet,  which  he  pointed 
straight  at  me. 

"  Do  you  lie  down,  like  cows  that  chew 
the  cud,  when  the  wolves  are  on  the  trail  ? " 
demanded  that  plangent  voice. 

"  It's  Grul !  "  cried  Tamin,  springing  to 
his  feet  and  thrusting  a  piece  of  black 
bread  into  the  stranger's  hand. 

But  the  offering  was  thrust  aside,  while 
those  wide  eyes  flamed  yet  more  wildly 
upon  me. 

"  They  are  on  the  trail,  I  tell  you  ! "  he 
repeated.  "  I  hear  their  feet  even  now ! 
Go  !  Run  !  Fly  !  "  and  he  stooped,  with 
an  ear  toward  the  ground. 

"  But  which  way  should  we  fly  ^ "  I 
asked,  half  in  doubt  whether  his  warning 
should  be  heeded  or  derided.  I  could  see 
that  neither  Marc  nor  Tamin  had  any 
such  doubts.  They  were  on  the  strain 
to  be  off,  and  only  awaited  my  word. 

"  Go  up  the  brook,"  said  he,  in  a  lower 
voice.  "The  first  small  stream  on  your 
left  hand,  turn  up  that  a  little  way,  and 


Grul  79 

so  —  for  the  wolves  shall  this  time  be 
balked.  But  the  black  wolf's  teeth  bite 
deep.  They  shall  bite  upon  the  throats 
of  the  people  !  "  he  continued,  his  voice 
rising  keenly,  his  white  staff,  with  its 
grinning  scarlet  head,  waving  in  strange, 
intricate  curves.  We  were  already  off, 
making  at  almost  full  speed  up  the  brook. 
Glancing  back,  I  saw  the  fantastic  form 
running  to  and  fro  over  the  ground  where 
we  had  lain ;  and  when  the  trees  hid  him 
we  heard  those  ominous  words  wailed 
slowly  over  and  over  with  the  reiterance 
of  a  tolling  bell  :  — 

"  Woe,  woe  for  Acadie  the  Fair,  for  the 
day  of  her  desolation  cometh  !  " 

"  He'll  throw  them  off  the  trail !"  said 
Tamin,  confidently. 

"  But  how  did  they  ever  get  on  it  ? " 
queried  Marc. 

"'Tis  plain  that  they  have  seen  or  heard 
us  as  we  passed  the  strip  of  beach  ! "  said 
I,  in  deep  vexation,  for  I  hated  to  be  over- 
reached by  any  one  in  woodcraft.  "  If 
we  outwit  them  now,  it's  no  thanks  to  my 
tactics,  but  only  to  that  generous  and  as- 


8o  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

tonishing  madman.  You  both  seemed  to 
know  him.  Who,  in  the  name  of  all  the 
saints,  might  he  be  ?  What  was  it  you 
called  him,  Tamin  ?  " 

"  Grul !  "  replied  Tamin  ;  and  said  no 
more,  discreetly  husbanding  his  wind.  But 
Marc  spoke  for  him. 

"  I  have  heard  him  called  no  other 
name  but  Grul !  Madman  he  is,  at  times, 
I  think.  But  sane  for  the  most  part,  and 
with  some  touches  of  a  wisdom  beyond 
the  wisdom  of  men.  The  guise  of  mad- 
ness he  wears  always ;  and  the  Indians,  as 
well  as  our  own  people,  reverence  him 
mightily.  It  is  nigh  upon  three  years 
since  he  first  appeared  in  Acadie.  He 
hates  the  Black  Abbe,  —  who,  they  say, 
once  did  him  some  great  mischief  in  some 
other  land  than  this,  —  and  his  strange 
ravings,  his  prodigious  prophesyings,  do 
something  here  and  there  to  weaken  the 
Abbe's  influence  with  our  people." 

"  Then  how  does  he  evade  the  good 
father's  wrath  ?  "   I  questioned,  in  wonder. 

"Oh,"  said  Marc,  "the  good  father 
hates    him    cordially    enough.       But    the 


Grul  8 1 

Indians  could  not  be  persuaded,  or  bullied, 
or  bribed,  to  lift  a  hand  against  him.  They 
say  a  Manitou  dwells  in  him." 

"  Maybe     they're     not     far    wrong ! " 
grunted  Tamin. 

And  now  I,  like  Tamin,  found  it  pru- 
dent to  spare  my  wind.  But  Marc,  whose 
lungs  seemed  untiring,  spoke  from  time  to 
time  as  he  went,  and  told  me  certain  inci- 
dents, now  of  Grul's  acuteness,  now  of  his 
gift  of  prophecy,  now  of  his  fantastic  mad- 
ness. We  came  at  length,  after  passing 
two  sm^all  rivulets  on  the  right,  to  the  stream 
on  the  left  which  Grul  had  indicated.  It 
had  a  firm  bed,  wherein  our  footsteps  left 
no  trace,  and  we  ascended  it  for  perhaps 
a  mile,  by  many  windings.  Then,  with 
crafty  care,  we  crept  up  from  the  stream, 
in  such  a  fashion  as  to  leave  no  mark  of 
our  divergence  if,  as  I  thought  not  likely, 
our  pursuers  should  come  that  way.  After 
that  we  fetched  a  great  circuit,  crossed  the 
parent  brook,  and  shortly  before  noon 
judged  that  we  might  account  ourselves 
secure.  Where  a  tiny  spring  bubbled  be- 
neath a  granite  boulder  and  trickled  away 


82  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

north  toward  the  Fundy  shore,  we  stopped 
to  munch  black  bread  and  the  remnant  of 
the  fish.  We  rested  for  an  hour,  —  Tamin 
and  I  sleeping,  while  Marc,  who  protested 
that  he  felt  no  motion  toward  slumber, 
kept  watch.  When  he  roused  us,  we  set 
off  pleasantly  refreshed,  our  faces  toward 
Shulie. 

Till  late  that  night  we  journeyed,  hav- 
ing a  clear  moon  to  guide  us.  Coming  at 
length  to  the  edge  of  a  small  lake  set  with 
islands,  "  Here,"  said  I,  "  is  the  place 
where  we  may  sleep  secure  !  " 

We  stripped,  took  our  bundles  on  our 
heads,  and  swam  out  into  the  shining  still- 
ness. We  swam  past  two  islets,  and 
landed  upon  one  which  caught  my  fancy. 
There  we  lay  down  in  a  bed  of  sweet- 
smelling  fern,  and  were  well  content.  As 
we  supped  on  Tamin's  good  black  bread, 
two  loons  laughed  to  each  other  out  on 
the  silver  surface.  We  saw  their  black, 
watchful  heads,  moving  slowly.  Then  we 
slept.  It  was  high  day  when  we  awoke. 
The  bread  was  now  scarce,  so  we  husbanded 
it,  and  made  such  good  speed  all  day  that 


Grul  83 

while  it  wanted  yet  some  hours  of  sunset 
we  came  out  upon  a  bluff's  edge  and  saw 
below  us  the  wash  and  roll  of  Fundy. 
We  were  some  way  west  of  Shulie,  but  not 
far,  Tamin  said,  from  the  house  of  his 
good  friend  with  the  good  boat. 

To  this  house  we  came  within  the  hour. 
It  was  a  small,  home-like  cabin,  among 
apple  trees,  in  a  slant  clearing  that  over- 
hung a  narrow  creek.  There,  by  a  little 
jetty,  I  rejoiced  to  see  the  boat.  The  man 
of  the  house,  one  Beaudry,  was  in  the 
woods  looking  for  his  cow,  but  the  good- 
wife  made  us  welcome.  When  Beaudry 
came  in  he  and  Tamin  fell  on  each  other's 
necks.  And  I  found,  too,  that  the  name 
of  Jean  de  Briart,  with  something  of  his 
poor  exploits,  was  not  all  unknown  in  the 
cabin. 

How  well  we  supped  that  night,  on  fresh 
shad  well  broiled,  and  fresh  sweet  barley 
bread,  and  thin  brown  buckwheat  cakes  ! 
It  was  settled  at  once  that  Beaudry  should 
put  us  over  to  de  Ramezay's  camp  with 
the  first  of  the  morrow's  tide.  Then,  over 
our  pipes,  sitting  under  the  apple  tree  by 


84  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

the  porch,  we  told  our  late  adventures.  I 
say  we,  but  Tamin  told  them,  and  gave 
them  a  droll  colouring  which  delighted 
me.  It  must  have  tickled  Marc's  fancy, 
too,  for  I  took  note  that  he  let  his  pipe 
out  many  times  during  the  story.  Beaudry 
kept  crying  "  Hein  !  "  and  "  Bien  !  "  and 
"  Tiens  !  "  in  an  ecstasy  of  admiration. 
The  goodwife,  however,  was  seemingly 
most  touched  by  the  loss  of  Tamin's 
knitted  cap.  With  a  face  of  great  concern, 
as  who  should  say  "  Poor  soul !  "  she 
jumped  up,  ran  into  the  house,  was  gone  a 
few  moments,  and  returned  beaming  be- 
nevolence. 

"  Via !  "  she  cried ;  and  stuck  upon 
Tamin's  wiry  black  head  a  bran-new  cap 
of  red  wool. 


Chapter   VII 
The  Commander  is  Embarrassed 

NEXT  day  we  set  out  at  a  good 
hour,  and  came  without  further 
adventure  to  Chignecto.  Having  landed, 
amid  a  Httle  swarm  of  fishing-boats,  we 
then  went  straight  to  de  Ramezay's  head- 
quarters, leaving  Beaudry  at  the  wharf 
among  his  cronies.  We  crossed  a  strip 
of  dyked  marsh,  whereon  were  many  sleek 
Acadian  cattle  cropping  the  rich  aftermath, 
and  ascended  the  gentle  slope  of  the  up- 
lands. Amid  a  few  scattered  cabins  were 
ranged  the  tents  of  the,  soldiers.  Camp 
fires  and  sheaves  of  stacked  muskets  gave 
the  bright  scene  a  warlike  countenance. 
Higher  up  the  hill  stood  a  white  cottage, 
larger  than  the  rest,  its  door  painted  red, 
with  green  panels ;  and  from  a  staff  on 
its  gable,  blown  out  bravely  by  the  wind 

85 


86  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

which  ever  sweeps  those  Fundy  marsh- 
lands, flapped  the  white  banner  with  the 
Lihes  of  France. 

The  sentry  who  challenged  us  at  the 
foot  of  the  slope  knew  me,  —  had  once 
fought  under  me  in  a  border  skirmish,  — 
and,  saluting  with  great  respect,  summoned 
a  guard  to  conduct  us  to  headquarters. 
As  we  climbed  the  last  dusty  rise  and 
turned  in,  past  the  long  well-sweep  and 
two  gaunt,  steeple-like  Lombardy  poplars, 
to  the  yard  before  the  cottage,  the  door 
opened  and  the  commander  himself  stood 
before  us.  His  face  lit  up  gladly  as  I 
stepped  forward  to  greet  him,  and  with 
great  warmth  he  sprang  to  embrace  me. 

"  My  dear  Briart !  "  he  cried.  "  I  have 
long  expected  you  !  " 

"  I  am  but  just  returned  to  Acadie,  my 
dear  friend,"  said  I,  with  no  less  warmth 
than  he  had  evinced,  "  or  you  would 
surely  have  seen  me  here  to  greet  you 
on  your  coming.  But  the  King's  service 
kept  me  on  the  Richelieu  ! " 

"  And  even  your  restless  activity,  my 
Jean,  cannot  put   you   in    two   places    at 


The  Commander  is  Embarrassed     87 

once,"  said  he,  as  he  turned  with  an  air 
of  courteous  inquiry  to  my  companions. 
Perceiving  at  once  by  his  dress  that 
Tamin  was  a  habitant,  his  eyes  rested 
upon  Marc. 

"  My  son  Marc,  Monsieur  de  Rame- 
zay,"  said  I. 

The  two  bowed.  Marc  very  respect- 
fully, as  became  a  young  man  on  pre- 
sentation to  a  distinguished  officer,  but 
de  Ramezay  with  a  sudden  and  most 
noticeable  coldness.  At  this  I  flushed 
with  anger,  but  the  moment  was  not  one 
for  explanations.  I  restrained  myself;  and 
turning  to  Tamin,  I  said  in  an  altered 
tone :  — 

"And  this,  de  Ramezay,  is  my  good 
friend  and  faithful  follower,  Tamin  Violet, 
of  Canard  parish,  who  desires  to  enlist  for 
service  under  you.  More  of  him,  and  all 
to  his  credit,  I  will  tell  you  by  and  by. 
I  merely  commend  him  to  you  now  as 
brave,  capable,  and  a  good  shot !  '* 

"  I  have  ever  need  of  such  ! "  said 
de  Ramezay,  quickly.  "As  you  recom- 
mend   him,  he  shall    serve  in   Monsieur 


88  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

de  Ville  d'Avray's  company,  which  forms 
my  own  guard.'* 

Summoning  an  orderly,  he  gave  direc- 
tions to  this  effect.  As  Tamin  turned  to 
depart  with  the  orderly,  both  Marc  and 
I  stepped  up  to  him  and  wrung  his 
hands,  and  thanked  him  many  times  for 
the  courage  and  craft  which  had  saved 
Marc's  life  as  well  as  the  honour  of  our 
family. 

"  We'll  see  you  again  to-night  or  in  the 
morning,  my  Tamin,"  said  Marc. 

"  And  tell  you  how  goes  my  talk  with 
the  commander,"  added  I,  quietly. 

"And  for  the  boat  we  wrecked,"  con- 
tinued Marc,  "  why,  of  course,  we  won't 
remain  in  your  debt  for  a  small  thing  like 
that ;  though  for  the  great  matter,  and  for 
your  love,  we  are  always  your  debtors 
gladly ! " 

"  And  in  the  King's  uniform,"  said  I, 
cutting  short  Tamin's  attempted  protesta- 
tions, "  even  the  Black  Abbe  will  not  try 
to  molest  you." 

I  turned  again  to  de  Ramezay,  who  was 
waiting  a  few  paces  aside,  and  said,  with  a 


The  Commander  is  Embarrassed     89 

courtesy  that  was  something  formal  after 
the  warmth  of  our  first  greeting  :  — 

"  Your  pardon,  de  Ramezay !  But 
Tamin  has  gone  through  much  with  us 
and  for  us.  And  now,  my  son  and  I 
would  crave  an  undisturbed  conversation 
with  you." 

At  once,  and  without  a  word,  he  con- 
ducted us  into  his  private  room,  where  he 
invited  us  to  be  seated.  As  we  complied, 
he  himself  remained  standing,  with  every 
sign  of  embarrassment  in  his  frank  and 
fearless  countenance.  I  had  ever  liked 
him  well.  Good  cause  to  like  him,  in- 
deed, I  had  in  my  heart,  for  I  had  once 
stood  over  his  body  in  a  frontier  skirmish, 
and  saved  his  scalp  from  the  knives  of  the 
Onondagas.  But  now  my  anger  was  hot 
against  him,  for  it  was  plain  to  me  that  he 
had  lent  ear  to  some  slanders  against 
Marc.  For  a  second  or  two  there  was  a 
silence,  then  Marc  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"  Perhaps  if  I  stand,"  said  he,  coldly, 
"  Monsieur  de  Ramezay  will  do  us  the 
honour  of  sitting." 

De    Ramezay's    erect    figure  —  a  very 


go  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

soldierly  and  imposing  figure  it  was  in  its 
uniform  of  white  and  gold  —  straightened 
itself  haughtily  for  an  instant.  Then  he 
began,  but  with  a  stammering  tongue :  — 

"I  bitterly  regret  —  it  grieves  me,  —  it 
pains  me  to  even  hint  it,  —  "  and  he  kept 
his  eyes  upon  the  floor  as  he  spoke,  — 
"  but  your  son,  my  dear  friend,  is  ac- 
cused—  '* 

Here  I  broke  in  upon  him,  springing 
to  my  feet. 

"  Stop  !  **  said  I,  sternly. 

He  looked  at  me  with  a  face  of  sorrow- 
ful inquiry,  into  which  a  tinge  of  anger 
rose  slowly. 

"  Remember,"  I  continued,  "  that  what- 
ever accusation  or  imputation  you  make 
now,  I  shall  require  you  to  prove  beyond 
a  peradventure, — or  to  make  good  with 
your  sword  against  mine  !  My  son  is  the 
victim  of  a  vile  conspiracy.     He  is  —  " 

"Then  he  is  loyal,  you  say,  to  France?" 
interrupted  de  Ramezay,  eagerly. 

"  I  say,"  said  I,  in  a  voice  of  steel, 
"  that  he  has  done  nothing  that  his  father, 
a  soldier  of  France,  should  blush  to  tell. 


The  Commander  is   Embarrassed     91 

—  nothing  that  an  honest  gentleman 
should  not  do."  My  voice  softened  a 
little  as  I  noticed  the  change  in  his  counte- 
nance. "  And  oh,  Ramezay,"  I  continued, 
"  had  any  man  an  hour  ago  told  me  that 
you  would  condemn  a  son  of  mine  un- 
heard,—  that  you,  on  the  mere  word  of 
a  false  priest  or  his  wretched  tools,  would 
have  believed  that  a  son  of  Jean  de  Mer 
could  be  a  traitor,  I  would  have  driven 
the  words  down  his  throat  for  a  black  lie, 
a  slander  on  my  friend  !  " 

De  Ramezay  was  silent  for  a  moment, 
his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  floor.  Then  he 
lifted  his  head. 

"  I  was  wrong.  Forgive  me,  my  friend ! " 
said  he,  very  simply.  "  I  see  clearly  that 
I  ought  to  have  held  the  teller  of  those 
tales  in  suspicion,  knowing  of  him  what 
I  do  know.  And  now,  since  you  give  me 
your  word  the  tales  are  false,  they  are 
false.  Pardon  me,  I  beg  of  you.  Mon- 
sieur ! "  he  added,  turning  to  Marc  and 
holding  out  his  hand. 

Marc  bowed  very  low,  but  appeared 
not  to  see  the  hand. 


92  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  If  you  have  heard,  Monsieur  de 
Ramezay,"  said  he,  "that,  before  it  was 
made  plain  that  France  would  seek  to 
recover  Acadie  out  of  English  hands,  I, 
a  mere  boy,  urged  my  fellow  Acadians  to 
accept  the  rule  in  good  faith ;  —  if  you 
have  heard  that  I  then  urged  them  not 
to  be  misled  to  their  own  undoing  by  an 
unscrupulous  and  merciless  intriguer  who 
disgraces  his  priestly  office;  —  if  you  have 
heard  that,  since  then,  I  have  cursed  bit- 
terly the  corruption  at  Quebec  which  is 
threatening  New  France  with  instant  ruin, 
—  you  have  heard  but  truly  !  " 

De  Ramezay  bit  his  lips  and  flushed 
slightly.  Marc  was  not  making  the  situa- 
tion easier ;  but  I  could  scarce  blame  him. 
Our  host,  however,  motioned  us  to  our 
seats,  taking  his  own  chair  immediately 
that  he  saw  us  seated.  For  my  own  part, 
my  anger  was  quite  assuaged.  I  hastened 
to  clear  the  atmosphere. 

"  Let  me  tell  you  the  whole  story, 
Ramezay,"  said  I,  "  and  you  will  under- 
stand. But  first  let  me  say  that  my  son 
is  wholly  devoted  to  the  cause  of  France. 


The  Commander  is   Embarrassed     93 

His  former  friendly  intercourse  with  the 
English,  a  boyish  matter,  he  brought  to 
an  utter  end  when  the  war  came  this 
way." 

"And  let  me  say,"  interrupted  de 
Ramezay,  manfully  striving  to  amend  his 
error,  "  that  when  one  whom  I  need  not 
name  was  filling  my  ear  with  matter  not 
creditable  to  a  young  man  named  Marc 
de  Mer,  it  did  not  come  at  all  to  my 
mind  —  and  can  you  wonder?  —  that  the 
person  so  spoken  of  was  a  son  of  my 
Briart,  of  the  man  who  had  so  perilled  his 
own  life  to  save  mine  !  I  thought  your 
son  was  but  a  child.  It  was  thus  that  the 
accusations  were  allowed  to  stick  in  my 
mind,  —  which  I  do  most  heartily  repent 
of!     And  for  which  I  again  crave  pardon ! " 

"  I  beg  of  you.  Monsieur,  that  you  will 
think  no  more  of  it ! "  said  Marc,  heartily, 
being  by  this  quite  appeased. 

Then  with  some  particularity  I  told  our 
story,  —  not  omitting  Marc's  visit  to  his 
little  Puritan  at  Annapolis,  whereat  de 
Ramezay  smiled,  and  seemed  to  under- 
stand  something  which   had   before   been 


94  The  Forge  In  the  Forest 

dark  to  him.  When  the  Black  Abbe  came 
upon  the  scene  (I  had  none  of  our  host's 
reluctance  to  mention  the  Abbe's  name !) 
de  Ramezay's  brows  gathered  gloomily. 
But  he  heard  the  tale  through  with  breath- 
less attention  up  to  the  point  of  our  land- 
ing at  Chignecto. 

"  And  now,  right  glad  am  I  that  you 
are  here,"  he  exclaimed,  stretching  out  a 
hand  to  each  of  us.  The  frank  welcome 
that  illuminated  the  strong  lines  of  his 
face  left  no  more  shadow  of  anger  in  our 
hearts. 

"  And  here  are  the  Abbe's  precious 
documents  ! "  said  I,  fetching  forth  the 
packet. 

De  Ramezay  examined  both  letters  with 
the  utmost  care. 

"  The  reward,"  he  said  presently,  with 
a  dry  smile,  "  is  on  a  scale  that  savours 
of  Quebec  rather  more  than  of  thrifty 
New  England.  When  Boston  holds 
the  purse-strings,  information  is  bought 
cheaper  than  that !  As  for  the  signature, 
it  is  passable.  But  I  fear  it  would  scarce 
satisfy  Master  Apthorp  ! " 


The  Commander  is  Embarrassed     95 

"  I  thought  as  much,"  said  I,  "  though 
I  have  seen  Mascarene's  signature  but 
once." 

De  Ramezay  fingered  the  paper,  and 
held  it  up  to  the  light. 

"  But  a  point  which  will  interest  you 
particularly.  Monsieur,"  he  continued,  ad- 
dressing Marc,  "is  the  fact  that  this  paper 
was  made  in  France  !  " 

"  It  is  gratifying  to  know  that.  Mon- 
sieur!" replied  Marc,  with  his  vanishing 
smile. 

"  It  would  be  embarrassing  to  some 
people,"  said  de  Ramezay,  "  if  they 
knew  we  were  aware  of  it.  But  I  may 
say  here  frankly  that  they  must  not  know 
it.  You  will  readily  understand  that  my 
hands  are  something  less  than  free.  As 
things  go  now  at  Quebec,  there  are 
methods  used  which  I  cannot  look  upon 
with  favour,  and  which  I  must  therefore 
seem  not  to  see.  I  am  forced  to  use 
the  tools  which  are  placed  in  my  hands. 
This  priest  of  whom  you  speak  is  a  power 
in  Acadie.  He  is  thought  to  be  indis- 
pensable  to   our  cause.     He  will  do  the 


96  The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

things  that,  alas,  have  to  be  done,  but 
which  no  one  else  will  do.  And  I  believe 
he  does  love  France,  —  he  is  surely  sin- 
cere in  that.  But  he  rests  very  heavily, 
methinks,  on  the  conscience  of  his  good 
bishop  at  Quebec,  who,  but  for  the 
powers  that  interfere,  would  call  him  to 
a  sharp  account.  I  tell  you  all  this  so 
that  you  will  see  why  I  must  not  charge 
the  Abbe  with  this  villany  of  his.  I  am 
compelled  to  seem  ignorant  of  it." 

I  assured  him  that  I  apprehended  the 
straits  in  which  he  found  himself,  and 
would  be  content  if  he  would  merely  give 
the  Abbe  to  understand  that  Marc  was 
not  to  be  meddled  with. 

"  Of  course,"  said  Marc,  at  this  point, 
"  I  wish  to  enter  active  service,  with 
Father ;  and  I  shall  therefore  be,  for  the 
most  part,  beyond  the  good  Abbe's  reach. 
But  we  have  business  at  Grand  Pre  and 
Canard  that  will  hold  us  there  a  week  or 
thereabouts;  and  it  is  annoying  to  walk 
in  the  hourly  peril  of  being  tomahawked 
and  scalped  for  a  spy  !  " 

"  ril  undertake   to  secure   you  in  this 


The  Commander  is  Embarrassed     97 

regard,"  laughed  de  Ramezay  ;  "and  in  re- 
turn, perchance  I  may  count  on  your  sup- 
port when  I  move  against  Annapolis,  as 
my  purpose  is  to  do  ere  many  weeks  ! " 

"Assuredly  !  "  said  Marc,  "  if  my  father 
have  made  for  me  no  other  plans  !  "  And 
he  turned  to  me  for  my  word  in  the  matter. 

As  it  chanced,  this  was  exactly  as  I  had 
purposed,  which  I  made  at  once  to  appear. 
It  was  presently  agreed,  therefore,  that  we 
should  tarry  some  days  at  Chignecto,  re- 
turning thereafter  to  despatch  our  affairs 
at  home  and  await  de  Ramezay's  sum- 
mons. As  the  Commander's  guests  we 
were  lodged  in  his  own  quarters,  and 
Tamin  was  detailed  to  act  as  our  or- 
derly. The  good  Beaudry,  with  his  good 
boat,  was  sent  home  not  empty-handed 
to  his  goodwife  near  Shulie,  with  instruc- 
tions to  come  again  for  us  in  Hvq  days. 
And  Tamin,  having  now  no  more  need  of 
it,  sent  back  to  Madame  Beaudry,  with 
best  compliments^  her  knitted  cap  of  red 
wool. 


Chapter    VIII 
The  Black  Abbe  Comes  to  Dinner 

OF  the  pleasant  but  something  irrele- 
vant matter  of  how  merrily  we  supped 
that  night  with  de  Ramezay  and  his  offi- 
cers,—  many  of  whom  I  knew,  all  of 
whom  knew  me  or  my  adventurous  re- 
pute, —  I  will  not  linger  to  discourse. 
Nor  of  the  costly  dainties  from  France 
which  enriched  the  board,  side  by  side 
with  fair  salmon  from  the  Tantramar 
and  bursting-fat  plover  from  the  Joli- 
Coeur  marshes.  Nor  of  the  good  red 
wine  of  Burgundy  which  so  enhanced  the 
relish  of  those  delectable  birds,  —  and  of 
which  I  might  perhaps  have  drunk  more 
sparingly  had  good  Providence  but  made 
me  more  abstemious.  Let  it  suffice  to 
say,  there  was  wit  enough  to  spice  plainer 
fare,  and  courtesy  that  had  shone  at  Ver- 

98 


The  Black  Abbe  Comes  to  Dinner  99 

sallies.  The  long  bare  room,  with  its 
low,  black-raftered  ceiling  and  polished 
floor,  its  dark  walls  patterned  with  shelves, 
was  lit  by  the  smoky  flames  of  two-score 
tallow  candles. 

By  and  by  chairs  were  pushed  back, 
the  company  sat  with  less  ceremony, 
the  air  grew  clouded  with  the  blue  va- 
pours of  the  Virginia  weed,  and  tongues 
wagged  something  more  loosely  than  be- 
fore. There  were  songs,  —  catches  from 
the  banks  of  Rhone,  rolling  ballads  of 
our  own  voyageurs.  A  young  captain 
quite  lately  from  Versailles,  the  Sieur  de 
Ville  d'Avray,  had  an  excellent  gift  of 
singing. 

But  now,  just  when  the  Sieur  de  Ville 
d'Avray  was  rendering,  with  most  com- 
mendable taste  and  spirit,  the  ballade 
of  "Frere  Lubin,"  there  came  an  inter- 
ruption. 

"  II  presche  en  theologien, 
Mais  pour  boire  de  belle  eau  claire, 
Faictes  la  boire  a  vostre  chien, 
Frere  Lubin  ne  le  peult  faire,"  — 


loo        The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

sang  the  gay  voice,  —  we  all  nodding  our 
heads  in  intent  approval,  or  even,  maybe, 
seeing  that  the  wine  was  generous,  tapping 
the  measure  openly  with  our  fingers.  But 
suddenly,  though  there  was  no  noise  to 
draw  them,  all  eyes  turned  to  the  door- 
way, and  the  singer  paused  in  his  song. 
I  tipped  my  chair  back  into  the  shadow 
of  a  shelf,  as  did  Marc,  who  sat  a  little 
beyond  me.  For  the  visitor,  who  thus 
boldly  entered  unannounced,  was  none 
other  than  the  Black  Abbe  himself. 

I  flung  de  Ramezay  a  swift  glance  of 
anticipation,  which  he  caught  as  he  arose 
in  his  place  to  greet  the  new-comer.  On 
the  faces  around  the  table  I  took  note  of 
an  ill-disguised  annoyance.  The  Abbe, 
it  was  plain,  found  small  favour  in  that 
company.  But  to  do  him  justice,  he 
seemed  but  little  careful  to  court  favour. 
He  stood  in  the  doorway,  frowning,  a 
piercing  and  bitter  light  in  his  close-set 
eyes.  He  waited  for  de  Ramezay  to  come 
forward  and  give  him  welcome,  —  which 
de  Ramezay  presently  did,  and  would  have 
led  him  to  a  seat  at  the  table. 


"THE   VISITOR   . 


.    WAS    NONE    OTHER   THAN    THE    BLACK 
ABBE    HIMSELF  " 


The  Black  Abbe  Comes  to  Dinner  loi 

But  "  No ! "  said  the  grim  intruder. 
"With  all  thanks  for  your  courtesy. 
Monsieur,  I  have  no  time,  nor  am  I  in 
the  temper,  for  revellings.  When  I  have 
said  my  word  to  you  I  will  get  me  to 
the  house  of  one  of  my  flock,  and  sup 
plainly,  and  take  what  rest  I  may,  for 
at  dawn  I  must  set  out  for  the  Shube- 
nacadie.  There  is  much  to  be  done,  and 
few  to  do  it,  and  the  time  grows  short ! " 
and  he  swept  a  look  of  reprimand  about 
the  circle. 

"  Would  you  speak  with  me  in  private, 
Father  ?  '*  asked  de  Ramezay,  with  great 
civility. 

"  It  is  not  necessary.  Monsieur !  **  re- 
plied the  Abbe.  "  I  have  but  to  say  that 
I  arrested  the  pestilent  young  traitor. 
Marc  de  Mer,  on  his  father's  estate  at 
Canard,  and  left  him  under  guard  while 
I  went  to  attend  to  other  business.  I 
found  upon  his  person  clear  proofs  of  his 
treachery,  which  would  have  justified  his 
hanging  on  the  instant.  But  I  preferred 
that  you  should  be  the  judge  !  *' 

"You    did   well!"    said   de   Ramezay, 


'     ♦    ft     ♦  r  I   ' 

1 02        The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

gravely.  "  I  must  ask  even  you,  Mon- 
sieur I'Abbe,  to  remember  on  all  occasions 
that  I,  and  I  only,  am  the  judge,  so  long 
as  I  remain  in  Acadie  !  " 

To  this  rebuke,  courteous  though  it 
was,  the  priest  vouchsafed  no  reply  but 
a  slight  smile,  which  uncovered  his  strong 
yellow  teeth  on  one  side,  like  a  snarl. 
He  continued  his  report  as  if  there  had 
been  no  interruption. 

"In  my  brief  absence  his  father,  with 
some  disaffected  habitants,  deceived  my 
faithful  followers  by  a  trick,  and  carried 
off  the  prisoner.  But  I  have  despatched 
a  strong  party  on  the  trail  of  the  fugi- 
tives. They  will  certainly  be  captured, 
and  brought  at  once  —  " 

But  at  this  point  his  voice  failed  him. 
His  face  worked  violently  with  mingled 
rage  and  amazement,  and  following  his 
gaze  I  saw  Marc  standing  and  bowing 
with  elaborate  courtesy. 

"  They  are  already  here.  Sir  Abbe," 
said  he,  "  having  made  haste  that  they 
might  give  you  welcome  !  " 

A  ripple  of  laughter  went  around  the 


The  Black  Abbe  Comes  to  Dinner   103 

table,  as  the  company,  recovering  from 
some  moments  of  astonishment,  began 
to  understand  the  situation.  I,  too,  rose 
to  my  feet,  smiling  expectantly.  The 
priest's  narrow  eyes  met  mine  for  a 
second,  with  a  light  that  was  akin  to 
madness.  Then  they  shifted.  But  he 
found  his  voice  again. 

"  I  denounce  that  man  as  a  proved 
spy  and  traitor ! "  he  shouted,  striding 
forward,  and  pointing  a  yellow  finger  of 
denunciation  across  the  table  at  Marc, 
while  the  revellers  over  whom  he  leaned 
made  way  for  him  resentfully.  "  I  de- 
mand his  instant  arrest." 

"Gently,  Monsieur  I'Abbe,"  said  de 
Ramezay.  "These  are  serious  charges 
to  bring  against  French  gentlemen,  and 
friends  of  the  Commander;  have  you 
proofs  —  such  as  will  convince  me  after 
the  closest  scrutiny  ? "  he  added,  with 
unmistakable  significance. 

"  I  have  myself  seen  the  proofs,  I  tell 
you,'*  snarled  the  Abbe,  beginning  to  exert 
more  self-control,  but  still  far  unlike  the 
cool,  inexorable,  smiling  cynic  who   had 


I04         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

so  galled  my  soul  with  his  imperturba- 
bility when  I  lay  in  his  bonds  beside  the 
Forge. 

"  I  would  fain  see  them,  too,"  insisted 
de  Ramezay. 

The  priest  glared  at  me,  and  then  at 
Marc,  baffled. 

"  I  have  them  not,"  said  he,  in  his  slow 
and  biting  tones  ;  "  but  if  you  would  do 
your  duty  as  the  King's  servant,  Monsieur 
de  Ramezay,  and  arrest  yonder  spy,  you 
would  doubtless  find  the  proofs  upon  his 
person,  if  he  has  not  taken  the  pains  to 
dispose  of  them."  Upon  this  insolent 
speech,  de  Ramezay  took  his  seat,  and 
left  the  priest  standing  alone.  When, 
after  a  pause,  he  spoke,  his  voice  was 
stern  and  masterful,  as  if  he  were  address- 
ing a  contumacious  servant,  though  he 
retained  the  forms  of  courtesy  in  his 
phrases. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  he,  "  when  I  wish  to 
learn  my  duty,  it  will  not  be  the  some- 
what well-known  Abbe  la  Game  whom  I 
will  ask  to  teach  me.  I  must  require  you 
not  to  presume  further  upon  the  sacred- 


The  Black  Abbe  Comes  to  Dinner   105 

ness  of  your  office.  Your  soutane  saves 
you  from  being  called  to  account  by  the 
gentleman  whose  honour  you  have  as- 
persed. Monsieur  Marc  de  Mer  is  the 
son  of  my  friend.  He  is  also  one  of 
my  aides-de-camp.  I  beg  that  you  will 
understand  me  without  more  words  when 
I  say  that  I  have  examined  the  whole 
matter  to  which  you  refer.  For  your 
own  credit,  press  it  no  further.  I  trust 
you  catch  my  meaning !  " 

"  On  the  contrary,"  said  the  Abbe, 
coolly,  being  by  this  time  quite  himself 
again,  and  seemingly  indifferent  to  the 
derisive  faces  confronting  him  — "  on 
the  contrary,  your  meaning  altogether 
escapes  me.  Monsieur.  All  that  I  un- 
derstand of  your  singular  behaviour  is 
what  the  Governor  and  the  Intendant, 
not  I  their  unworthy  instrument,  will  be 
called  to  pass  judgment  upon." 

"  I  will  trouble  you  to  understand  also, 
Sir  Priest,"  said  de  Ramezay,  thoroughly 
aroused,  his  tones  biting  like  acid,  "  that 
if  this  young  man  is  further  troubled  by 
any  of  your  faithful  Shubenacadie  flock,  I 


io6         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

will  hold  you  responsible ;  and  the  fact 
that  you  are  useful,  having  fewer  scruples 
than  trouble  a  mere  layman,  shall  not 
save  you." 

"  Be  not  disturbed  for  your  spy,  Mon- 
sieur," sneered  the  Abbe,  now  finely 
tranquil.  "  I  wash  my  hands  of  all  re- 
sponsibility in  regard  to  him ;  look  you 
to  that." 

For  the  space  of  some  seconds  there 
was  silence  all  about  that  table  of  feasting, 
while  the  Abbe  swept  a  smiling,  bitter 
glance  around  the  room.  Last,  his  eyes 
rested  upon  mine  and  leaped  with  a  sud- 
den light  of  triumph,  so  that  one  might 
have  thought  not  he  but  I  had  been 
worsted  in  the  present  encounter.  Then 
he  turned  on  his  heel  and  went  out,  scorn- 
ful of  courtesy. 

A  clamour  of  talk  arose  upon  this  most 
cherished  departure ;  but  I  heard  it  as  in 
a  dream,  being  wrapped  up  in  wonder  as 
to  the  meaning  of  that  look  of  triumph. 

"  Has  the  Black  Abbe  cast  a  spell  upon 
you.  Father?"  I  heard  Marc  inquiring 
presently.      Whereupon   I  came  to    my- 


The  Black  Abbe  Comes  to  Dinner   107 

self  with  a  kind  of  start,  and  made  merry 
with  the  rest  of  them. 

It  was  late  when  Marc  and  I  went  to 
the  little  chamber  where  our  pallets  were 
stretched.  There  we  found  Tamin  await- 
ing us.     He  was  in  a  sweat  of  fear. 

"  What  is  it,  my  Tamin  ?  "  asked  Marc. 

"The  Black  Abbe,"  he  grunted,  the 
drollness  all  chased  out  of  the  little 
wrinkles  about  his  eyes. 

"Well,"  said  I,  impatiently.  "The 
Black  Abbe ;  and  what  of  him  ?  He  is 
repenting  to-night  that  he  ever  tried  con- 
clusions with  me,  I'll  wager." 

I  spoke  the  more  confidently  because 
in  my  heart  I  was  still  troubled  to  know 
the  meaning  of  the  Abbe's  glance. 

"  Hein,"  said  Tamin.  "  He  looked  — 
his  eyes  would  lift  a  scalp  !  I  was  stand- 
ing in  the  light  just  under  the  window, 
when  of  a  sudden  the  door  closed ;  and 
there  he  stood  beside  me,  with  no  sound, 
and  still  as  a  heron.  He  looked  at  me 
with  those  two  narrow  eyes,  as  if  he 
would  eat  my  heart  out;  and  I  stood 
there,  and   shook.     Then,   of  a  sudden, 


io8         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

his  face  changed.  It  became  Hke  a  good 
priest's  face  when  he  says  the  prayer  for 
the  soul  that  is  passing ;  and  he  looked 
at  me  with  solemn  eyes.  And  I  was  yet 
more  afraid.  '  It  is  not  for  me  to  rebuke 
you,'  he  said,  speaking  so  that  each  word 
seemed  an  hour  long ;  '  red  runs  your 
blood  on  the  deep  snow  beneath  thi 
apple  tree.'  And  before  I  could  steady 
my  teeth  to  ask  him  what  he  meant,  he 
was  gone.  '  Red  runs  your  blood  beneath 
the  apple  tree.'  What  did  he  mean  by 
that  P " 

"  Oh,"  said  I,  speaking  lightly  to  en- 
courage him,  though  in  truth  the  words 
fell  on  me  with  a  chill,  "  he  said  it  to 
spoil  your  sleep  and  poison  your  content. 
It  was  a  cunning  revenge,  seeing  that  he 
dare  not  lift  a  hand  to  punish  you  other- 
wise." 

"  To  be  sure,  my  Tamin,  that  is  all  of 
it,"  added  Marc.  "  Who  has  ever  heard 
that  the  Black  Abbe  was  a  prophet  ? 
Faith,  'tis  as  Father  says,  a  cunning  and 
a  devilish  revenge.  But  you  can  balk  it 
finely  by  paying  no  heed  to  it." 


The  Black  Abbe  Comes  to  Dinner    109 

Tamin's  face  had  brightened  mightily, 
but  he  still  looked  serious. 

"Do  you  think  so?"  he  exclaimed  with 
eagerness.  "  'Tis  as  you  say  indeed,  —  the 
Black  Abbe  is  no  prophet.  Had  it  been 
Grul,  now,  that  said  it,  there  were  some- 
thing to  lie  awake  for,  eh  .?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  if  Grul  had  said  it,"  mut- 
tered Marc,  contemplating  him  strangely. 

But  for  me,  I  was  something  impatient 
now  to  be  asleep. 

"Think  no  more  of  it,  my  friend,"  said 
I,  and  dismissed  him.  Yet  sleepy  as  I 
was,  I  thought  of  it,  and  even  I  must 
have  begun  to  dream  of  it.  The  white 
sheet  of  moonlight  that  lay  across  my 
couch  became  a  drift  of  snow  with  blood 
upon  it,  and  the  patterned  shadow  upon 
the  wall  an  apparition  leaning  over, — 
when  out  of  an  immense  distance,  as  it 
were,  I  heard  Marc's  voice. 

"Father,"  he  cried  softly,  "are  you 
awake  ?  " 

"  Yes,  dear  lad,"  said  I.     "  What  is  it .? " 

"  I  have  been  wondering,"  said  he, 
"why   the    Black  Abbe    looked    at    you. 


no         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

not  me,  in  his  going.  He  had  such  a 
countenance  as  warns  me  that  he  purposes 
some  cunning  stroke.  But  I  fear  his 
enmity  has  turned  from  me  to  you." 

"  Well,  lad,  it  v/as  surely  I  that  balked 
him.     What  would  you  have  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Oh,"  said  he,  heavily,  "  that  I  should 
have  turned  that  bloodhound  onto  your 
trail ! " 

"  Marc,  if  it  will  comfort  you  to  know 
it,  carry  this  in  your  memory,"  said  I, 
with  a  cheerful  lightness,  Hke  froth  upon 
the  strong  emotion  that  flooded  my  heart. 
"  When  the  Black  Abbe  strikes  at  me,  it 
will  be  through  you.  He  knows  where  I 
am  like  to  prove  most  vulnerable  !  " 

"  'Tis  all  right,  then,  so  as  we  sink  or 
swim  together.  Father,"  said  Marc,  quietly. 

"  That's  the  way  of  it  now,  dear  lad ! 
Sweet  sleep  to  you,  and  dreams  of  red 
hair ! "  said  I.  And  I  turned  my  face 
drowsily  to  the  wall. 


Chapter   IX 
The  Abbe  Strikes  Again 

THE  few  days  of  our  stay  at  Chig- 
necto  were  gay  and  busy  ones ; 
and  all  through  them  hummed  the  wind 
steadily  across  the  pale  green  marshes, 
and  buffeted  the  golden-rod  on  our  high 
shoulder  of  upland.  De  Ramezay  grati- 
fied me  by  making  much  of  Marc.  The 
three  of  us  rode  daily  abroad  among  the 
surrounding  settlements.  And  I  spent 
many  hours  planning  with  de  Ramezay 
a  fort  which  should  be  built  on  the  site 
of  this  camp,  in  case  the  coming  campaign 
should  fail  to  drive  the  English  out  of 
Acadie.  De  Ramezay,  as  was  ever  his 
wont,  was  full  of  confidence  in  the  event. 
But  of  the  sorry  doings  at  Quebec,  of  the 
plundering  hands  upon  the  public  purse, 
of  the   shamelessness   in   high  places,  he 

III 


112         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

hinted  to  me  so  broadly  that  I  began  to 
see  much  ground  for  Marc's  misgivings. 
And  my  heart  cried  out  for  my  fair  coun- 
try of  New  France. 

On  the  fifth  day  of  our  stay,  —  it  was  a 
Wednesday,  and  very  early  in  the  morn- 
ing,—  the  good  Beaudry  with  his  good 
boat  came  for  us.  The  tide  serving  at 
about  two  hours  after  sunrise,  we  set  out 
then  for  Grand  Pre,  well  content  with  the 
jade  Fortune  whose  whims  had  so  far 
favoured  us.  De  Ramezay  and  his  officers 
were  at  the  wharf-end  to  bid  us  God- 
speed ;  and  as  I  muse  upon  it  now  they 
may  have  thought  curiously  of  it  to  see 
the  loving  fashion  in  which  both  Marc 
and  I  made  a  point  to  embrace  our  faith- 
ful Tamin.  But  that  is  neither  here  nor 
there,  so  long  as  we  let  him  plainly  under- 
stand how  our  hearts  were  towards  him. 

The  voyage  home  was  uneventful,  save 
that  we  met  contrary  winds,  whereby  it 
fell  that  not  until  evening  of  the  second 
day  did  we  come  into  the  Gaspereau 
mouth  and  mark  the  maids  of  Grand 
Pre  carrying  water  from  the  village  well. 


The  Abbe  Strikes  Again         113 

The  good  Beaudry  we  paid  to  his  satis- 
faction, and  left  to  find  lodging  in  one  of 
the  small  houses  by  the  water  side ;  while 
Marc  and  I  took  our  way  up  the  long 
street  with  its  white  houses  standing  amid 
their  apple  trees.  Having  gone  perhaps 
four  or  five  furlongs,  returning  many  a 
respectful  salutation  from  the  doorways  as 
we  passed,  we  then  turned  up  the  hill  by  a 
little  lane  which  was  bordered  stiffly  with 
the  poplar  trees  of  Lombardy,  and  in  short 
space  we  came  to  a  pleasant  cottage  in  a 
garden,  under  shadow  of  the  tall  white 
church  which  stood  sentinel  over  the  Grand 
Pre  roofs.  The  cottage  had  some  apple 
trees  behind  it,  and  many  late  roses  bloom- 
ing in  the  garden.  It  was  the  home  of  the 
good  Cure,  Father  Fafard,  most  faithful 
and  most  gentle  of  priests. 

With  Father  Fafard  we  lodged  that 
night,  and  for  some  days  thereafter.  The 
Cure's  round  face  grew  unwontedly  stern 
and  anxious  as  we  told  him  our  advent- 
ures, and  rehearsed  the  doings  of  the 
Black  Abbe.  He  got  up  from  time  to  time 
and  paced   the   room,   muttering  once  — 


114         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

^'Alas  that  such  a  man  should  discredit 
our  holy  office  !  What  wrath  may  he  not 
bring  down  upon  this  land  !  "  —  and  more 
to  a  like  purport. 

My  own  house  in  Grand  Pre,  where 
Marc  had  inhabited  of  late,  and  where  I 
was  wont  to  pay  my  flitting  visits,  I  judged 
well  to  put  off  my  hands  for  the  present, 
foreseeing  that  troublous  times  were  nigh. 
I  transferred  it  in  Father  Fafard's  presence 
to  a  trusty  villager  by  name  Marquette, 
whom  I  could  count  upon  to  transfer  it 
back  to  me  as  soon  as  the  skies  should  clear 
again.  I  knew  that  if,  by  any  fortune  of 
war,  English  troops  should  come  to  be 
quartered  in  Grand  Pre,  they  would  be 
careful  for  the  property  of  the  villagers ; 
but  the  house  and  goods  of  an  enemy 
under  arms,  such  would  belike  fare  ill.  I 
collected,  also,  certain  moneys  due  me  in 
the  village,  for  I  knew  that  the  people 
were  prosperous,  and  I  did  not  know  how 
long  their  prosperity  might  continue. 
This  done.  Marc  and  I  set  out  for  my  own 
estate  beside  the  yellow  Canard.  There  I 
had  rents  to  gather  in,  but  no  house  to  put 


The  Abbe  Strikes  Again         115 

off  my  hands.  At  the  time  when  Acadie 
was  ceded  to  England,  a  generation  back, 
the  house  of  the  de  Mers  had  been  handed 
over  to  one  of  the  most  prosperous  of  our 
habitants,  and  with  that  same  family  it  had 
ever  since  remained,  yielding  indeed  a  pre- 
posterously scant  rental,  but  untroubled 
by  the  patient  conqueror. 

My  immediate  destination  was  the 
Forge,  where  I  expected  to  find  Babin 
awaiting  me  with  news  and  messages.  At 
the  Forge,  too,  I  would  receive  payment 
from  my  tenants,  and  settle  certain  points 
which,  as  I  had  heard,  were  at  dispute 
amongst  them. 

As  we  drew  near  the  Forge,  through  the 
pleasant  autumn  woods,  it  wanted  about 
an  hour  of  noon.  I  heard,  far  off,  the 
muffled  thunder  of  a  cock-partridge  drum- 
ming. But  there  was  no  sound  of  hammer 
on  clanging  anvil,  no  smoke  rising  from 
the  wide  Forge  chimney ;  and  when  we 
entered,  the  ashes  were  dead  cold.  It  was 
plain  there  had  been  no  fire  in  the  forge 
that  day. 

"  Where  can  Babin  be  ?  "  I  muttered  in 


ii6         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

vexation.  "  If  he  got  my  message,  there 
can  be  no  excuse  for  his  absence.'* 

"  ril  wager,  Father,''  said  Marc,  "  that  if 
he  is  not  off  on  some  errand  of  yours,  then 
he  is  sick  abed,  or  dead.  Nought  besides 
would  keep  Babin  when  you  called  him." 

I  went  to  a  corner  and  pulled  a  square 
of  bark  from  a  seemingly  hollow  log  up 
under  the  rafters.  In  the  secret  niche 
thus  revealed  was  a  scrap  of  birch  bark 
scrawled  with  some  rude  characters  of 
Babin's,  whence  I  learned  that  my  trusty 
smith  was  sick  of  a  sharp  inflammation. 
I  passed  the  scrap  over  to  Marc,  and  felt 
again  in  the  hollow. 

"  What,  in  the  name  of  all  the  saints,  is 
this  ?  "  I  exclaimed,  drawing  out  a  short 
piece  of  peeled  stick.  A  portion  of  the 
stick  was  cut  down  to  a  flat  surface,  and 
on  this  was  drawn  with  charcoal  a  straight 
line,  having  another  straight  line  perpen- 
dicular to  it,  and  bisecting  it.  At  the  top 
of  the  perpendicular  was  a  figure  of  the 
sun,  thus:  — 

* 
I 


The  Abbe  Strikes  Again         117 

"  It's  a  message  from  Grul,"  said  Marc, 
the  instant  that  his  eyes  fell  upon  it. 

"  H'm  ;  and  how  do  you  know  that  ?  '* 
said  I,  turning  it  over  curiously  in  my 
fingers. 

"Well,"  replied  Marc,  "the  peeled 
stick  is  Grul's  sign  manual.  What  does 
he  say  P " 

"  He  seems  to  say  that  he  is  going  to 
build  a  windmill,"  said  I,  with  great 
seriousness  ;  "  but  doubtless  you  will  give 
this  hieroglyphic  quite  a  different  inter- 
pretation." 

Marc  laughed,  —  yes,  laughed  audibly. 
And  it  is  possible  that  his  Penobscot 
grandmother  turned  in  her  grave.  It 
was  good  to  know  that  the  lad  could 
laugh,  which  I  had  begun  to  doubt ;  but 
it  was  puzzling  to  me  to  hear  him  laugh 
at  the  mere  absurdity  which  I  had  just 
uttered,  when  my  most  polished  witti- 
cisms, of  which  I  had  shot  off  many  of 
late  at  Chignecto,  and  in  conversation  with 
good  Father  Fafard,  had  never  availed  to 
bring  more  than  a  phantom  smile  to  his 
lips.     However,  I  made  no  comment,  but 


ii8         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

handed  him  "  Grul's  sign  manual/'  as  he 
chose  to  call  it. 

"  Why,  Father,"  said  he,  "  you  under- 
stand it  well  enough,  I  know.  This  is 
plainly  the  sun  at  high  noon.  At  high 
noon,  therefore,  we  may  surely  expect  to 
see  Grul.  He  has  been  here  but  a  short 
time  back ;  for  see,  the  wood  is  not  yet 
dry." 

"Sapristi!"  said  I,  "do  you  call  that 
the  sun,  lad  ?  It  is  very  much  like  a 
windmill." 

How  Marc  might  have  retorted  upon 
me,  I  know  not;  for  at  the  moment,  though 
it  yet  wanted  much  of  noon,  the  fantastic 
figure  of  the  madman  —  if  he  were  a  mad- 
man—  sped  into  the  Forge.  He  stopped 
abruptly  before  us  and  scrutinized  us  for 
some  few  seconds  in  utter  silence,  his  eyes 
glittering  and  piercing  like  sword  points. 
His  long  white  hair  and  beard  were  disor- 
dered with  haste,  the  flowers  and  feathers 
in  his  pointed  cap  were  for  the  most  part 
broken,  even  as  when  we  had  last  seen 
him,  and  his  gaudy  mantle  was  somewhat 
befouled  with  river  mud.    Yet  such  power 


The  Abbe  Strikes  Again         119 

was  there  in  his  look  and  in  his  gesture, 
that  when  he  stretched  out  his  little  white 
staff  toward  me  and  said  "  Come,"  I  had 
much  ado  to  keep  from  obeying  him  with- 
out question.  Yet  this  I  would  not  per- 
mit myself,  as  was  natural. 

"Whither?"  I  questioned.  "And  for 
what  purpose  ?  " 

By  this  time  he  was  out  at  the  door, 
but  he  stopped.  Giving  me  a  glance  of 
scorn  he  turned  to  Marc,  and  stretched 
out  his  staff. 

"  Come,"  he  said.  And  in  a  breath  he 
was  gone,  springing  with  incredible  swift- 
ness and  smoothness  through  the  under- 
brush. 

"  We  must  follow.  Father ! "  cried 
Marc ;  and  in  the  same  instant  was  away. 

For  my  own  part,  it  was  sorely  against 
me  to  be  led  by  the  nose,  and  thus  blindly, 
by  the  madman  —  whom  I  now  declared 
certainly  to  be  mad.  But  Marc  had  gone, 
so  I  had  no  choice,  as  I  conceived  it,  but 
to  stand  by  the  lad.  I  went  too.  And 
seeing  that  I  had  to  do  it,  I  did  it  well, 
and  presently  overtook  them. 


I20         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  What  is  this  folly  ?  "  I  asked  angrily, 
panting  a  little,  I  confess. 

But  Marc  signed  to  me  to  be  silent. 
I  obeyed,  though  with  ill  enough  grace, 
and  ran  on  till  my  mouth  was  like  a 
board,  my  tongue  like  wool.  Then  the 
grim  light  of  the  forest  whitened  sud- 
denly before  us,  and  our  guide  stopped. 
Instinctively  we  imitated  his  motions,  as 
he  stole  forward  and  peered  through  a 
screen  of  leafage.  We  were  on  a  bank 
overlooking  the  Canard.  A  little  below, 
and  paddling  swiftly  towards  the  river- 
mouth,  were  two  canoes  manned  with 
the  Abbe's  Micmacs.  In  the  bottom  of 
one  canoe  lay  a  little  fair-haired  boy, 
bound. 

"  My  God ! "  cried  Marc,  under  his 
breath,  "'tis  the  child!  'tis  little  PhiHp 
Hanford." 

Grul  turned  his  wild  eyes  upon  us. 

"The  power  of  the  dog!"  he  muttered, 
"  the  power  of  the  dog  ! " 

"  We  must  get  a  canoe  and  follow 
them ! "  exclaimed  Marc,  in  great  agita- 
tion, turning  to   go,  and   looking  at   me 


The  Abbe  Strikes  Again         121 

with  passionate  appeal.  But  before  I 
could  speak,  to  assure  him  of  my  aid 
and  support,  Grul  interfered. 

"  Wait ! "  he  said,  with  meaning  empha- 
sis, thrusting  his  Httle  staff  almost  in  the 
lad's  face.  "  Come  !  "  and  he  started  up 
along  the  river  bank,  going  swiftly  but 
with  noiseless  caution.  I  expected  Marc 
to  demur,  but  not  so.  He  evidently  had 
a  childlike  faith  in  this  fantastic  being. 
He  followed  without  a  protest.  Needless 
to  say,  I  followed  also.  But  all  this  mys- 
tery, and  this  blind  obedience,  and  this 
lordly  lack  of  explanation,  were  little  to 
my  liking. 

We  had  not  gone  above  half  a  mile 
when  Grul  stopped,  and  bent  his  mad 
head  to  listen.  Such  an  attitude  of  lis- 
tening I  had  never  seen  before.  The 
feathers  and  stalks  in  his  cap  seemed  to 
lean  forward  like  a  horse's  ears  ;  his  hair 
and  beard  took  on  a  like  inclination  of 
intentness ;  even  the  grim  little  scarlet 
head  upon  his  staff  seemed  to  listen  with 
its  master.  And  Marc  did  as  Grul  did. 
Then  came  a  sound  as  of  a  woman  weep- 


122         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

ing,  very  close  at  hand.  Grul  motioned 
us  to  pass  him,  and  creep  forward.  We 
did  so,  lying  down  and  moving  as  softly 
as  lizards.  But  I  turned  to  see  what  our 
mysterious  guide  was  doing  —  and  lo,  he 
was  gone.  He  might  have  faded  into 
a  summer  exhalation,  so  complete  and 
silent    was    his    exit. 

This  was  too  much.  Only  my  expe- 
rience as  a  woods-fighter^  my  instinctive 
caution,  kept  me  from  springing  to  my 
feet  and  calling  him.  But  my  suspi- 
cions were  all  on  fire.  I  laid  a  firm 
hand  of  detention  on  Marc's  arm,  and 
whispered :  — 

"  He's  gone  ;  'tis  a  trap.** 

Marc  looked  at  me  in  some  wonder, 
and  more  impatience. 

"  No  trap.  Father ;  that's  Grul's  way." 

"  Well,"  I  whispered,  "  we  had  better 
go  another  way,  I'm  thinking." 

As  I  spoke,  the  woman's  weeping  came 
to  us  more  distinctly.  Something  in  the 
sound  seemed  to  catch  Marc's  heart,  and 
his  face  changed. 

"'Tis  all  right,  I   tell   you,  Father!" 


The  Abbe  Strikes  Again         123 

came  from  between  his   teeth.     "  Come  ! 
come  !     Oh,  I   know  the  voice  !  "     And 
he  crept  forward  resolutely. 
And,  of  course,  I  followed. 


Chapter  X 
A  Bit  or  Whi^e  Petticoat 

WE  had  not  advanced  above  a  score 
of  paces  when,  peering  stealthily 
between  the  stems  of  herbs  and  under- 
brush, we  saw  what  Grul  had  desired  us  to 
see.  Two  more  canoes  were  drawn  up  at 
the  water's  edge.  Four  savages  were  in 
sight,  sprawling  in  indolent  attitudes  un- 
der the  shade  of  a  wide  water-maple.  In 
their  midst,  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  lay  a 
woman  bound  securely.  She  was  huddled 
together  in  a  posture  of  hopeless  despair ; 
and  a  dishevelled  glory  of  gold-red  tresses 
fell  over  her  face  to  hide  it.  She  lay  in  a 
moveless  silence.  Yet  the  sound  of  weep- 
ing continued,  and  Marc,  gripping  my 
hand  fiercely,  set  his  mouth  to  my  ear 
and  gasped  :  — 

"  'Tis  my  own  maid  !     'Tis  Prudence ! " 
124 


A  Bit  of  White  Petticoat        125 


Then  I  saw  where  she  sat,  a  little  apart, 
a  slender  maid  with  a  lily  face,  and  hair 
glowing  dark  red  in  the  full  sun  that 
streamed  upon  her.  She  was  so  tied  to 
another  tree  that  she  might  have  no  com- 
fort or  companionship  of  her  sister,  —  for 
I  needed  now  no  telling  to  convey  it  to 
me  that  the  lady  with  the  hidden  face 
and  the  unweeping  anguish  was  Mistress 
Mizpah  Hanford,  mother  of  the  child 
whom  I  had  just  seen  carried  away. 

I  grieved  for  Marc,  whose  eyes  stared 
out  upon  the  weeping  maid  from  a  face 
that  had  fallen  to  the  hue  of  ashes.  But 
I  praised  the  saints  for  sending  to  our  aid 
this  madman  Grul,  —  whom,  in  my  heart, 
I  now  graciously  absolved  from  the  charge 
of  madness.  Seeing  the  Black  Abbe's 
hand  in  the  ravishment  of  these  tender 
victims,  I  made  no  doubt  to  cross  him  yet 
again,  and  my  heart  rose  exultantly  to  the 
enterprise. 

"  Cheer  up,  lad,"  I  whispered  to  Marc. 
"  Come  away  a  little  till  we  plot." 

I  showed  my  confidence  in  mv  face,  and 
I  could  see  that  he  straightway  took  heart 


126         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

thereat.  Falling  back  softly  for  a  space 
of  several  rods,  we  paused  in  a  thicket  to 
take  counsel.  As  soon  as  we  could  speak 
freely,  Marc  exclaimed,  "They  may  go  at 
any  moment,  Father.     We  must  haste." 

"  No,"  said  I,  "  they'll  not  go  till  the 
cool  of  the  day.  The  others  went  because 
they  have  plainly  been  ordered  to  part  the 
child  from  his  mother.  It  is  a  most  cun- 
ning and  most  cruel  malice  that  could  so 
order  it." 

"  It  is  my  enemy^s  thrust  at  me,"  said 
Marc.  "  How  did  he  know  that  I  loved 
the  maid  ? " 

"  His  eyes  are  in  every  corner  of  Aca- 
die,"  said  I ;  "  but  we  will  foil  him  in  this 
as  in  other  matters.  Marc,  my  heart  is 
stirred  mightily  by  that  poor  mother's 
pain.  I  tell  you,  lad,"  —  and  I  looked 
diligently  to  the  priming  of  my  pistols  as 
I  spoke,  —  "I  tell  you  I  will  not  rest  till 
I  give  the  little  one  back  into  her  arms." 

But  Marc,  as  was  not  unnatural,  thought 
now  rather  of  his  lily  maid  sobbing  under 
the  tree. 

"Yes,   Father,"  said  he,  "but  what  is 


A  Bit  of  White  Petticoat        127 

to  be  done  now,  to  save  Prudence  and 
Mizpah  ? " 

"  Of  course,  dear  lad/'  I  answered,  smil- 
ingly, "  that  is  just  what  we  are  here  for. 
But  let  me  consider."  And  sitting  down 
upon  a  fallen  tree,  I  buried  my  face  in  my 
hands.  Marc,  the  while,  waited  with  what 
patience  he  could  muster,  relying  wholly 
upon  my  conduct  of  the  business,  but  fret- 
ting for  instant  action. 

We  were  well  armed  (each  with  a  brace 
of  pistols  and  a  broadsword,  the  forest 
being  no  place  for  rapiers),  and  I  ac- 
counted that  we  were  an  overmatch  for  the 
four  redskins.  But  there  was  much  at 
stake,  with  always  the  chance  of  accident. 
And,  moreover,  these  Indians  were  allies 
of  France,  wherefore  I  was  most  unwilling 
to  attack  them  from  the  advantage  of  an 
ambush.  These  various  considerations 
decided  me. 

"  Marc,  we'll  fight  them  if  needful," 
said  I,  lifting  up  my  head.  "  But  I'm 
going  to  try  first  the  conclusions  of  peace. 
I  will  endeavour  to  ransom  the  prisoners. 
These   Micmacs   are  mightily  avaricious. 


128         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

and  may  yield.  It  goes  against  me  to 
attack  them  from  an  ambush,  seeing  that 
they  are  of  our  party  and  servants  of 
King  Louis." 

At  this  speech  Marc  looked  very  ill 
content. 

"  But,  Father,"  he  objected,  "  shall  we 
forego  the  advantage  of  a  surprise  ?  We 
are  but  tv/o  to  their  four,  and  we  put  the 
whole  issue  at  hazard.  And  as  for  their 
being  of  our  party,  they  bring  shame  upon 
our  party,  and  greatly  dishonour  the  ser- 
vice of  King  Louis." 

"  Nevertheless,  dear  lad,"  said  I,  "  they 
have  their  claim  upon  us,  —  not  lightly  to 
be  overlooked,  in  my  view  of  it.  But 
hear  my  plan.  You  will  go  back  to 
where  we  lay  a  moment  ago,  and  there 
be  ready  with  your  pistols.  I  will  ap- 
proach openly  by  the  water  side  and 
enter  into  parley  with  them.  If  I  can 
buy  the  captives,  well  and  good.  If  they 
deny  me,  we  quarrel.  You  will  know 
when  to  play  your  part.  I  am  satisfied 
of  that.  I  shall  feel  safe  under  cover  of 
your  pistols,  and  shall  depend  upon  you 


A  Bit  of  White  Petticoat        129 


to  account  for  two  of  the  four.     Only,  do 
not  be  too  hasty  !  " 

"  Oh,  I'm  cool  as  steel  now,  Father," 
said  Marc.  "But  I  like  not  this  plan. 
The  danger  is  all  yours.  And  the  quar- 
rel is  mine.     Let  us  go  into  it   side  by 

side !  '* 

"  Chut,  lad  !  "  said  I.  "  Your  quarrel's 
my  quarrel,  and  the  danger  is  not  more 
for  me  than  for  you,  as  you  won't  be  long 
away  from  me  when  the  fight  begins, — 
if  it  comes  to  a  fight.  And  further,  my 
plan  is  both  an  honest  one  and  like  to 
succeed.     Come,  let  us  be  doing  !  " 

Marc  seized  my  hand,  and  gave  me  a 
look  of  pride  and  love  which  put  a  glow 
at  my  heart.  "  You  know  best.  Father," 
said  he.  And  turning  away,  he  crept 
toward  his  post.  For  me,  I  made  a  cir- 
cuit, in  leisurely  fashion,  and  came  out 
upon  the  shore  behind  a  point  some  rods 
below  the  spot  where  the  savages  lay. 
Then  I  walked  boldly  up  along  the 
water's  edge. 

The  Indians  heard  me  before    I  came 
in  view,  and  were   on   their  feet  when  I 


130         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

appeared  around  the  point.  They  re- 
garded me  with  black  suspicion,  but  no 
hostile  movement,  as  I  strode  straight  up 
to  them  and  greeted,  fairly  enough  but 
coldly,  a  tall  warrior,  whom  I  knew  to 
be  one  of  the  Black  Abbe's  lieutenants. 
He  grunted,  and  asked  me  who  I  was. 

"  You  know  well  enough  who  I  am," 
said  I,  seating  myself  carelessly  upon  a 
rock,  "  seeing  that  you  had  a  chief  hand 
in  the  outrages  put  upon  me  the  other 
day  by  that  rascally  priest  of  yours  !  " 

At  this  the  chief  stepped  up  to  me  with 
an  air  of  menace,  his  high-cheeked,  cop- 
pery face  scowling  with  wrath.  But  I  eyed 
him  steadily,  and  raised  my  hand  with  a 
little  gesture  of  authority.  "  Wait !  "  said 
I ;  and  he  paused  doubtfully.  "  I  have  no 
grudge  against  you  for  that,"  I  went  on. 
"You  but  obeyed  your  master's  orders 
faithfully,  as  you  will  doubtless  obey  mine 
a  few  weeks  hence,  when  I  take  command 
of  your  rabble  and  try  to  make  you  of 
some  real  service  to  the  King.  I  am  one 
of  the  King's  captains." 

At   this    the    savage    looked    puzzled, 


A  Bit  of  White  Petticoat        131 

while  his  fellows  grunted  in  manifest  un- 
certainty. 

"  What  you  want  ?  "  he  asked  bluntly. 

I  looked  at  him  for  some  moments 
without  replying.  Then  I  glanced  at  the 
form  of  Mizpah  Hanford,  still  unmoving, 
the  face  still  hidden  under  that  pathetic 
splendour  of  loosened  hair.  Prudence  I 
could  not  catch  view  of,  by  reason  of  an- 
other tree  which  intervened.  But  the 
sound  of  her  weeping  had  ceased. 

"  I  am  ready  to  ransom  these  prisoners 
of  yours,"  said  I. 

The  savages  glanced  furtively  at  each 
other,  but  the  coppery  masks  of  their 
features  betrayed  nothing. 

"  Not  for  ransom,"  said  the  chief,  with 
a  dogged  emphasis. 

I  opened  my  eyes  wide.  "  You  aston- 
ish me!"  said  I.  "Then  how  will  they 
profit  you  ?  If  you  wanted  their  scalps, 
those  you  might  have  taken  at  Annapolis." 

At  that  word,  revealing  that  I  knew 
whence  they  came,  I  took  note  of  a  stir 
in  the  silent  figure  beneath  the  maple. 
I   felt  that    her    eyes    were  watching   me 


132         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

from  behind  that  sumptuous  veil  which 
her  bound  hands  could  not  put  aside. 
I  went  on,  with  a  sudden  sense  of 
exaltation. 

"  Give  me  these  prisoners,"  I  urged, 
half  pleading,  half  commanding.  "  They 
are  useless  to  you  except  for  ransom. 
I  will  give  you  more  than  any  one  else 
will  give  you.     Tell  me  your  price." 

But  the  savage  was  obstinate. 

"  Not  for  ransom,"  he  repeated,  shak- 
ing his  head. 

"You  are  afraid  of  your  priest,"  said  I, 
with  slow  scorn.  "  He  has  told  you  to 
bring  them  to  him.  And  what  will  you 
get  ?  A  pistole  or  two  for  each !  But 
I  will  give  you  gold,  good  French  crowns, 
ten  times  as  much  as  you  ever  got  before ! " 

As  I  spoke,  one  of  the  listening  sav- 
ages got  up,  his  eyes  a-sparkle  with  eager- 
ness, and  muttered  something  in  Micmac, 
which  I  could  not  understand.  But  the 
chief  turned  upon  him  so  angrily  that  he 
slunk  back,  abashed. 

"Agree  with  me  now,"  I  said  earnestly. 
"  Then  wait  here  till  I  fetch  the  gold,  and 


A  Bit  of  White  Petticoat        133 


I  will   deliver  it  into  your   hands   before 
you  deliver  the  captives." 

But  the  chief  merely  turned  aside  with 
an  air  of  settling  the  question,  and  re- 
peated angrily  :  — 

"  I  say  white  girls  not  for  ransom." 

I  rose  to  my  feet. 

"  Fools,  you  are,"  said  I,  "and  no  men, 
but  sick  women,  afraid  of  your  rascal 
priest.  I  offered  to  buy  when  I  might 
have  taken  !  Now  I  will  take,  and  you 
will  get  no  ransom  !  Unloose  their 
bonds ! " 

And  I  pointed  with  my  sword,  while 
my  left  hand  rested  upon  a  pistol  in  my 
belt.  I  am  a  very  pretty  shot  with  my 
left  hand. 

Before  the  words  were  fairly  out  of 
my  lips  the  four  sprang  at  me.  Stepping 
lightly  aside,  I  fired  the  pistol  full  at  the 
chief's  breast,  and  he  plunged  headlong. 
In  the  next  instant  came  a  report  from 
the  edge  of  the  underbrush,  and  a  second 
savage  staggered,  groaned,  and  fell  upon 
his  knees,  while  Marc  leaped  down  and 
rushed  upon  a  third.     The  remaining  one 


134         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

snatched  up  his  musket  (the  muskets 
were  forgotten  at  the  first,  when  I  seemed 
to  be  alone),  and  took  a  hasty  aim  at  me ; 
but  before  he  could  pull  the  trigger  my 
second  pistol  blazed  in  his  face,  and  he 
dropped,  while  his  weapon,  exploding 
harmlessly,  knocked  up  some  mud  and 
grass.  I  saw  Marc  chase  his  antagonist 
to  the  canoes  at  the  point  of  his  sword, 
and  prick  him  lightly  for  the  more  speed. 
But  at  the  same  instant,  out  of  the  corner 
of  my  eye,  I  saw  the  savage  whom  Marc's 
shot  had  brought  down  struggle  again  to 
his  feet  and  swing  his  hatchet.  With  a 
yell  I  was  upon  him,  and  my  sword  point 
(the  point  is  swifter  than  the  edge  in  an 
emergency)  went  through  his  throat  with 
a  sobbing  click.  But  I  was  just  too  late. 
The  hatchet  had  left  his  hand ;  and  the 
flying  blade  caught  Marc  in  the  shoulder. 
The  sword  dropped  from  his  grasp,  he 
reeled,  and  sat  down  with  a  shudder  before 
I  could  get  to  his  side.  I  paid  no  further 
heed  to  the  remaining  Indian,  but  was 
dimly  conscious  of  him  launching  a  canoe 
and  paddling  away  in  wild  haste. 


A  Bit  of  White  Petticoat        135 


I  lifted  the  dear  lad  into  the  shade,  and 
anxiously  examined  the  wound. 

"  'Tis  but  a  flesh  wound,"  said  he, 
faintly  ;  but  I  found  that  the  blow  had 
not  only  grievously  gashed  the  flesh,  but 
spHt  the  shoulder  blade. 

"  Flesh  wound  !  "  I  muttered.  "  You  11 
do  no  more  fighting  in  this  campaign,  dear 
lad,  unless  they  put  it  oflF  till  next  spring. 
This  shoulder  will  be  months  in  mending." 
"  When  it  does  mend,  will  my  arm  be 
the  same  as  ever  ?  "  he  asked,  somewhat 
tremulously.     "  'Tis  my  sword  arm." 

"  Yes,  lad,  yes ;  you  need  not  trouble 
about  that,"  said  I.  "  But  it  is  a  case  for 
care." 

In  the  meantime,  I  was  cleansing  the 
wound  with  salt  water  which  I  had 
brought  from  the  river  in  my  cap. 
Now,  I  cast  about  in  my  mind  for  a 
bandage;  and  I  looked  at  the  prisoner 
beneath  the  maple.  Marc  first,  courtesy 
afterwards,  I  thought  in  my  heart;  for 
I  durst  not  leave  the  wound  exposed  with 
so  many  flies  in  the  air. 

The    lady's    little    feet,  bound    cruelly, 


13.6         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

were  drawn  up  in  part  beneath  her  dark 
skirt,  but  so  that  a  strip  of  linen  petti- 
coat shone  under  them.  I  hesitated,  but 
only  for  a  second.  Lifting  the  poor  little 
feet  softly  to  one  side,  with  a  stammered, 
"  Your  pardon,  Madame,  but  the  need 
is  instant ! "  I  slit  ofF  a  breadth  of  the 
soft  white  stuff  with  my  sword.  And 
I  was  astonished  to  feel  my  face  flush 
hotly  as  I  did  it.  With  strangely  thrill- 
ing fingers,  and  the  help  of  my  sword 
edge,  I  then  set  free  her  feet,  and  with 
no  more  words  turned  hastily  back  to 
Marc,  abashed  as  a  boy. 

In  a  few  moments  I  had  Marc's  wound 
softly  dressed,  for  I  had  some  skill  in  this 
rough  and  ready  surgery.  I  could  see  by 
his  contracting  pupils  that  the  hurt  was 
beginning  to  agonize,  but  the  dear  lad 
never  winced  under  my  fingers,  and  I 
commended  him  heartily  as  a  brave 
patient.  Then  placing  a  bundle  of  cool 
ferns  under  his  head  for  a  pillow,  I 
turned  to  the  captives,  from  whom  there 
had  been  never  a  word  this  while. 


Chapter   XI 
I   Fall  a  Willing  Captive 

THE    lady    whose    feet    I    had    freed 
had  risen  so  far  as  to  rest  crouch- 
ing   against    the    gnarled    trunk    of    the 
maple   tree.     The  glorious  abundance  of 
her  hair  she  had  shaken   back,  revealing 
a  white  face  chiselled  like  a  Madonna's,  a 
mouth  somewhat  large,  with  lips  curved 
passionately,  and  great  sea-coloured  eyes 
which   gazed  upon  me  from  dark  circles 
of  pain.       But    the    face  was   drawn   now 
with    that  wordless   and  tearless    anguish 
which    makes   all    utterance    seem    futile, 
—  the  anguish  of  a  mother    whose  child 
has  been   torn    from    her   arms    and  car- 
ried she  knows   not  whither.     Her  hands 
lay    in     her    lap,     tight    bound;     and   I 
noted    their   long,   white    slenderness.      I 
felt    as    if   I  should  go  on  my  knees  to 

137 


138         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

serve  her  —  I  who  had  but  just  now 
served  her  with  such  scant  courtesy  as 
it  shamed  my  soul  to  think  on.  As  I 
bent  low  to  loose  her  hands,  I  sought 
in  my  mind  for  phrases  of  apology  that 
might  show  at  the  same  time  my  necessity 
and  my  contrition.  But  lifting  my  eyes 
for  an  instant  to  hers,  I  was  pierced  with 
a  sense  of  the  anguish  which  was  rending 
her  heart,  and  straightway  I  forgot  all 
nice  phrases. 

What  I  said  —  the  words  coming  from 
my  lips  abruptly  —  was  this :  "  I  will 
find  him !  I  will  save  him !  Be  com- 
forted, Madame !  He  shall  be  restored 
to  you  !  ** 

In  great,  simple  matters,  how  little 
explanation  seems  needed.  She  asked 
not  who  I  was,  how  I  knew,  whom  I 
would  save,  how  it  was  to  be  done ;  and* 
I  thrill  proudly  even  now  to  think  how 
my  mere  word  convinced  her.  The  tense 
lines  of  her  face  yielded  suddenly,  and 
she  broke  into  a  shaking  storm  of  tears, 
moaning  faintly  over  and  over  —  "Philip! 
—  Oh,  my  Philip  !  —  Oh,  my  boy  !  "    I 


I   Fall  a  Willing  Captive        139 


watched  her  with  a  great  compassion. 
Then,  ere  I  could  prevent,  she  amazed 
me  by  snatching  my  hand  and  pressing 
it  to  her  lips.  But  she  spoke  no  word 
of  thanks.  Drawing  my  hand  gently 
away,  in  great  embarrassment,  I  repeated : 
"  Believe  me,  oh,  believe  me,  Madame ;  I 
will  save  the  little  one."  Then  I  went 
to  release  the  other  captive,  whom  I  had 
well-nigh  forgotten  the  while. 

This  lily  maid  of  Marc's,  this  Prudence, 
I  found  in  a  white  tremour  of  amazement 
and  inquiry.  From  where  she  sat  in  her 
bonds,  made  fast  to  her  tree,  she  could 
see  nothing  of  what  went  on,  but  she 
could  hear  everything,  and  knew  she 
had  been  rescued.  It  was  a  fair,  frank, 
childlike  face  she  raised  to  mine  as  I 
smiled  down  upon  her,  swiftly  and  gently 
severing  her  bonds ;  and  I  laid  a  hand 
softly  on  that  rich  hair  which  Marc  had 
praised,  being  right  glad  he  loved  so  sweet 
a  maid  as  this.  I  forgot  that  I  must  have 
seemed  to  her  in  this  act  a  shade  familiar, 
my  fatherly  forty  years  not  showing  in  my 
face.     So,  indeed,  it  was  for  an  instant,  I 


I40         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

think ;  for  she  coloured  maidenly.  But 
seeing  the  great  kindness  in  my  eyes,  the 
thought  was  gone.  Her  own  eyes  filled 
with  tears,  and  she  sprang  up  and  clung 
to  me,  sobbing,  like  a  child  just  awakened 
in  the  night  from  a  bad  dream. 

"  Oh,"  she  panted,  "  are  they  gone  ? 
did  you  kill  them  ?  how  good  you  are  ! 
Oh,  God  will  reward  you  for  being  so 
good  to  us  !  "  And  she  trembled  so  she 
would  certainly  have  fallen  if  I  had  not 
held  her  close, 

"  You  are  safe  now,  dear,"  said  I, 
soothing  her,  quite  forgetting  that  she 
knew  me  not  as  I  knew  her,  and  that, 
if  she  gave  the  matter  any  heed  at  all, 
my  speech  must  have  puzzled  her  sorely. 
"  But  come  with  me  ! "  And  I  led  her 
to  where  Marc  lay  in  the  shade. 

The  dear  lad's  face  had  gone  even 
whiter  than  when  I  left  him,  and  I  saw 
that  he  had  swooned. 

"  The  pain  and  shock  have  overcome 
him ! "  I  exclaimed,  dropping  on  my 
knees  to  remove  the  pillow  of  ferns 
from   under   his    head.     As   I   did  so,   I 


I   Fall  a  Willing  Captive         141 

heard  the  girl  catch  her  breath  sharply, 
with  a  sort  of  moan,  and  glancing  up, 
I  saw  her  face  all  drawn  with  misery. 
While  I  looked  in  some  surprise,  she 
suddenly  threw  herself  down,  and  crushed 
his  face  in  her  bosom,  quite  shutting  off 
the  air,  which  he,  being  in  a  faint,  greatly 
needed.  I  was  about  to  protest,  when 
her  words  stopped  me. 

"  Marc,  Marc,"  she  moaned,  "  why  did 
you  betray  us  ?  Oh,  why  did  you  betray 
us  so  cruelly  ?  But  oh,  I  love  you  even 
if  you  were  a  traitor.  Now  you  are  dead" 
(she  had  not  heard  me,  evidently,  saving 
he  had  swooned),  "  now  you  are  dead  I 
may  love  you,  no  matter  what  you  did. 
Oh,  my  love,  why  did  you,  why  did 
you  ? "  And  while  I  listened  in  bewil- 
derment, she  sprang  to  her  feet,  and  her 
blue  eyes  blazed  upon  me  fiercely. 

"  You  killed  him  !  "  she  hissed  at  me 
across  his  bodyc 

This  I  remembered  afterwards.  At  the 
moment  I  only  knew  that  she  Vv^as  calling 
the  lad  a  traitor.  That  I  was  well  tired 
of. 


142         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  Madame !  "  said  I,  sternly.  "  Do  not 
presume  so  far  as  to  touch  him  again." 

It  was  her  turn  to  look  astonished  now. 
Her  eyes  faltered  from  my  angry  face  to 
Marc's,  and  back  again  in  a  kind  of  help- 
lessness. 

"  Oh,  you  do  well  to  accuse  him,"  I 
went  on,  bitterly,  —  perhaps  not  very  rel- 
evantly. "  You  shall  not  dishonour  him 
by  touching  him,  you,  who  can  believe 
vile  lies  of  the  loyal  gentleman  who  loves 
you,  and  has,  it  may  be,  given  his  life  for 
the  girl  who  now  insults  him." 

The  girl's  face  was  now  in  such  a  con- 
fusion of  distress  that  I  almost,  but  not 
quite,  pitied  her.  Ere  she  could  find 
words  to  reply,  however,  her  sister  was 
at  her  side,  catching  her  hands,  murm.ur- 
ing  at  her  ear. 

"  Why,  Prudence,  child,"  she  said, 
"don't  you  see  it  all.^  Didn't  you  see 
it  all  ?  How  splendidly  Marc  saved  us  " 
(I  blessed  the  tact  which  led  her  to  put 
the  first  credit  on  Marc)  — "  Marc  and 
this  most  brave  and  gallant  gentleman  P 
It  was   one   of  the    savaees   who    struck 


I   Fall  a  Willing  Captive        143 

Marc  down,  before  my  eyes,  as  he  was 
fighting  to  save  us.  That  dreadful  story 
was  a  lie,  Prudence  ;  don't  you  see  ?  " 

The  maid  saw  clearly  enough,  and  with 
a  mighty  gladness.  She  was  for  throwing 
herself  down  again  beside  the  lad  to  cover 
his  face  with  kisses  —  and  shut  off  the  air 
which  he  so  needed.  But  I  thrust  her 
aside.  She  had  believed  Marc  a  traitor. 
Marc  might  forgive  her  when  he  could 
think  for  himself.     I  was  in  no  mind  to. 

She  looked  at  me  with  unutterable  re- 
proach, her  eyes  filling  and  running  over, 
but  she  drew  back  submissively. 

"  I  know,"  she  said,  "  I  don't  deserve 
that  you  should  let  me  go  near  him.  But 
—  I  think  —  I  think  he  would  want  me 
to,  sir  !  See,  he  wants  me  !  Oh,  let  me !" 
And  I  perceived  that  Marc's  eyes  had 
opened.  They  saw  no  one  but  the  maid, 
and  his  left  hand  reached  out  to  her. 

"  Oh,  well  !  "  said  I,  grimly.  And 
thereafter  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  lad 
got  on  with  less  air  than  men  are  accus- 
tomed to  need  when  they  would  make 
recovery  from  a  swoon. 


144         'The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

I  turned  to  Mizpah  Hanford ;  and  I 
wondered  what  sort  of  eyes  were  in  Marc's 
head,  that  he  should  see  Prudence  when 
Mizpah  was  by.  Before  I  could  speak, 
Mizpah  began  to  make  excuses  for  her 
sister.  With  heroic  fortitude  she  choked 
back  her  own  grief,  and  controlled  her 
voice  with  a  brave  simplicity.  Coming 
from  her  lips,  these  broken  excuses 
seemed  sufficient  —  though  to  this  day 
I  question  whether  I  ought  to  have 
relented  so  readily.  She  pleaded,  and  I 
listened,  and  was  content  to  listen  so 
long  as  she  would  continue  to  plead. 
But  there  was  little  I  clearly  remember. 
At  last,  however,  these  words,  v/ith 
which  she  concluded,  aroused  me :  — 

"  How  could  we  any  longer  refuse  to 
believe,"  she  urged,  "  when  the  good  priest 
confessed  to  us  plainly,  after  much  ques- 
tioning, that  it  was  Monsieur  Marc  de 
Mer  who  had  sent  the  savages  to  steal  us, 
and  had  told  them  just  the  place  to  find 
us,  and  the  hour?  The  savages  had  told 
us  the  same  thing  at  first,  taunting  us 
with    it   when  we  threatened    them   with 


I   Fall  a  Willing  Captive         145 

Marc's  vengeance.  You  see.  Monsieur, 
they  had  plainly  been  informed  by  some 
one  of  our  little  retreat  at  the  riverside, 
and  of  the  hour  at  which  we  were  wont  to 
frequent  it.  Yet  we  repudiated  the  tale 
with  horror.  Then  yesterday,  v/hen  the 
good  priest  told  us  the  same  thing,  with 
a  reluctance  which  showed  his  horror  of 
it,  what  could  we  do  but  believe  ?  Though 
it  did  seem  to  us  that  if  Marc  were  false 
there  could  be  no  one  true.  The  priest 
believed  it.  He  was  kind  and  pitiful,  and 
tried  to  get  the  savages  to  set  us  free.  He 
talked  most  earnestly,  most  vehemently 
to  them ;  but  it  was  in  their  own  barba- 
rous language,  and  of  course  we  could  not 
understand.  He  told  us  at  last  that  he 
could  do  nothing  at  the  time,  but  that  he 
would  exert  himself  to  the  utmost  to  get 
us  out  of  their  hands  by  and  by.  Then 
he  went  away.     And  then  —  " 

"  And  then,  Madame,"  said  I,  "  your 
little  one  was  taken  from  you  at  his 
orders  ! " 

"  Why,  what  do  you  mean.  Mon- 
sieur ?  "  she  gasped,  her  great  sea-coloured 


146         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

eyes  opening  wide  with  fresh  terror.  "  At 
his  orders  ?  By  the  orders  of  that  kind 
priest  ? " 

"  Of  what  appearance  was  he  ? "  I  in- 
quired, in  return. 

"  Oh,"  she  cried  breathlessly,  "  he  was 
square  yet  spare  of  figure,  dark-skinned 
almost  as  Marc,  with  a  very  wide  lower 
face,  thin,  thin  lips,  and  remarkably  light 
eyes  set  close  together,  —  a  strange,  strong 
face  that  might  look  very  cruel  if  he  were 
angry.  He  looked  angry  once  when  he 
was  arguing  with  the  Indians." 

"  You  have  excellently  described  our 
bitterest  foe,  and  yours,  Madame,"  said  I, 
smiling.  "  The  wicked  Abbe  La  Game, 
the  pastor  and  master  of  these  poor  tools 
of  his  whom  I  would  fain  have  spared, 
but  could  not."  And  I  pointed  to  the 
bodies  of  the  three  dead  savages,  where 
they  lay  sprawling  in  various  pathetic 
awkwardnesses  of  posture. 

She  looked,  seemed  to  think  of  them 
for  the  first  time,  shivered,  and  turned 
away  her  pitiful  eyes. 

"  Those   poor  wretches,"    I  continued. 


I   Fall  a  Willing  Captive        147 

"  were  sent  by  this  kind  priest  to  capture 
you.  He  knew  when  and  ^' Were  to  find 
youj  because  he  had  played  the  eaves- 
dropper when  Marc  and  I  were  talking 
you. 

"  Oh,"  she  cried,  clenching  her  white 
hands  desperately,  "  can  there  be  a  priest 
so  vile  ^ " 

"  Ay,  and  this  which  you  have  heard 
is  but  a  part  of  his  villany.  We  have 
but  lately  baulked  him  in  a  plot  whereby 
he  had  nearly  got  Marc  hanged.  This, 
Madame,  I  promise  myself  the  honour  of 
relating  to  you  by  and  by ;  but  now  we 
must  get  the  poor  lad  removed  to  some 
sort  of  house  and  comfort." 

"And,  oh,"  cried  this  poor  mother,  in 
a  voice  of  piercing  anguish  and  amaze- 
ment, as  if  she  could  not  yet  wholly 
realize  it,  —  "my  boy,  my  boy!  He  is 
in  the  power  of  such  a  monster ! " 

"  Be  of  good  heart,  I  beseech  you," 
said  I,  with  a  kind  of  passion  in  my  voice. 
"  I  will  find  him,  I  swear  I  will  bring  him 
back  to  you.  I  will  wait  only  so  long  as 
to  see  my  own  boy  in  safe  hands  ! " 


148         The  Forge  In  the  Forest 

Again  that  look  of  trust  was  turned 
upon  me,  hrilling  me  with  invincible 
resolve. 

"  Oh,  I  trust  you,  Monsieur ! "  she 
cried.  Then  pressing  both  hands  to  her 
eyes  with  a  pathetic  gesture,  and  thrusting 
back  her  hair  —  "I  knew  you,  somehow, 
for  the  Seigneur  de  Briart,"  she  went  on, 
"  as  soon  as  I  heard  you  demanding  our 
release.  And  I  immediately  felt  a  great 
hope  that  you  would  set  us  free  and  save 
Philip.  I  suppose  it  is  from  Marc  that  I 
have  learned  such  confidence.  Monsieur!" 

I  bowed,  awkward  and  glad,  and  with- 
out a  pretty  word  to  repay  her  with,  —  I 
who  have  some  name  in  Quebec  for  well- 
turned  compliment.  But  before  this 
woman,  who  was  young  enough  to  be  my 
daughter,  I  was  like  a  green  boy. 

"  You  are  too  kind,"  I  stammered.  "  It 
will  be  my  great  ambition  to  justify  your 
good  opinion  of  me." 

Then  I  turned  away  to  launch  a  canoe. 

While  I  busied  myself  getting  the  canoe 
ready,  and  spreading  ferns  in  the  bottom  of 
it  for  Marc  to  lie  on,  Mizpah  walked  up 


I   Fall  a  Willing  Captive         149 

and  down  in  a  kind  of  violent  speechless- 
ness, as  it  were,  twisting  her  long  white 
hands,  but  no  more  giving  voice  to  her 
grief  and  her  anxiety.  Once  she  sat  down 
abruptly  under  the  maple  tree,  and  buried 
her  face  in  her  hands.  Her  shoulders 
shook,  but  not  a  sound  of  sob  or  moan 
came  to  my  ears.  My  heart  ached  at  the 
sight.  I  determined  that  I  would  give  her 
work  to  do,  such  as  would  compel  some 
attention  on  her  part. 

As  soon  as  the  canoe  was  ready  I  asked : 
"  Can  you  paddle,  Madame  ?  " 
She   nodded   an    affirmative,   her  voice 
seeming  to  have  gone  from  her. 

"  Very  well,"    said   I,   "  then   you   will 
take  the  bow  paddle,  will  you  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed  !  "  she  found  voice  to  cry, 
with  an  eagerness  which  I  took  to  signify 
that  she  thought  by  paddling  hard  to  find 
her  child  the  sooner.  But  the  manner  in 
which  she  picked  up  the  paddle,  and  took 
her  place,  and  held  the  canoe,  showed  me 
she  was  no  novice  in  the  art  of  canoeing, 
I  now  went  to  lift  Marc  and  carry  him 
to  the  canoe. 


150         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  Let  me  help  you,"  pleaded  Prudence, 
springing  up  from  beside  him.  "  He 
must  be  so  heavy  !  "     Whereat  I  laughed. 

"  I  can  walk,  I  am  sure,  Father,"  said 
Marc,  faintly,  "  if  you  put  me  on  my  feet 
and  steady  me." 

"  I  doubt  it,  lad,"  said  I,  "  and  'tis 
hardly  worth  while  wasting  your  little 
strength  in  the  attempt.  Now,  Prudence," 
I  went  on,  turning  to  the  girl,  "  I  want 
you  to  get  in  there  in  front  of  the  middle 
bar,  and  make  a  comfortable  place  for  this 
man's  head,  —  if  you  don't  mind  taking  a 
live  traitor's  head  in  your  lap  !  " 

At  this  the  poor  girl's  face  flushed  scar- 
let, as  she  quickly  seated  herself  in  the 
canoe ;  and  her  lips  trembled  so  that  my 
heart  smote  me  for  the  jest. 

"  Forgive  me,  child.  I  meant  it  not  as 
a  taunt,  but  merely  as  a  poor  jest,"  I  has- 
tened to  explain.  "Your  sister  has  told 
me  all,  and  you  were  scarce  to  blame. 
Now,  take  the  lad  and  make  him  as  com- 
fortable as  a  man  with  a  shattered  shoulder 
can  hope  to  be."  And  I  laid  Marc  gently 
down  so  that  he  could  slip  his  long  legs 


I   Fall  a  Willing  Captive         151 

under  the  bar.  He  straightway  closed  his 
eyes  from  sheer  weakness  ;  but  he  could 
feel  his  maid  bend  her  blushing  face  over 
his,  and  his  expression  was  a  strangely 
mingled  one  of  suffering  and  content. 

Taking  my  place  in  the  stern  of  the 
canoe,  I  pushed  out.  The  tide  was  just 
beginning  to  ebb.  There  was  no  wind. 
The  shores  were  green  and  fair  on  either 
hand.  My  dear  lad,  though  sore  hurt, 
was  happy  in  the  sweet  renderness  of  his 
lily  maid.  As  for  me,  I  looked  perhaps 
overmuch  at  the  radiant  head  of  Mizpah, 
at  the  lithe  vigorous  swaying  of  her  long 
arms,  the  play  of  her  gracious  shoulders 
as  she  paddled  strenuously.  I  felt  that 
it  was  good  to  be  in  this  canoe,  all  of  us 
together,  floating  softly  down  to  the  little 
village  beside  the  Canard's  mouth. 


Part  II 
M  iz  p  ah 


Chapter  XII 
In  a  Strange  Fellowship 

I  TOOK  Marc  and  the  ladies  to  the 
house  of  one  Giraud,  a  well-tried  and 
trusted  retainer,  to  whom  I  told  the  whole 
affair.  Then  I  sent  a  speedy  messenger 
to  Father  Fafard,  begging  him  to  come  at 
once.  The  Cure  of  Grand  Pre  was  a 
skilled  physician,  and  I  looked  to  him  to 
treat  Marc's  wound  better  than  I  could 
hope  to  do.  My  purpose,  as  I  unfolded 
it  to  Marc  and  to  the  ladies  that  same 
evening,  sitting  by  Marc's  pallet  at  the 
open  cottage  door,  was  to  start  the  very 
next  day  in  quest  of  the  stolen  child.  I 
would  take  but  one  follower,  to  help  me 
paddle,  for  I  would  rely  not  on  force  but 
on  cunning  in  this  venture.  I  would 
warn  some  good  men  among  my  tenants, 
and  certain  others  who  were  in  the  coun- 

155 


156         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

sels  of  the  Forge,  to  keep  an  unobtrusive 
guard  about  the  place,  till  Marc's  wound 
should  be  so  far  healed  that  he  might  go 
to  Grand  Pre.  And  further,  I  would  put 
them  all  in  the  hands  of  Father  Fafard, 
with  whom  even  the  Black  Abbe  would 
scarce  dare  to  meddle  openly. 

"  The  Cure,"  said  I,  turning  to  Mizpah, 
"  you  may  trust  both  for  his  wisdom  and 
his  goodness.  With  him  you  will  all  be 
secure  till  my  return." 

Mizpah  bowed  her  head  in  acknowl- 
edgment, and  looked  at  me  gratefully, 
but  could  not  trust  herself  to  speak. 
She  sat  a  little  apart,  by  the  door,  and 
was  making  a  mighty  effort  to  maintain 
her  outward  composure. 

Then  I  turned  to  where  Marc's  face, 
pallid  but  glad,  shone  dimly  on  his  pillow. 
I  took  his  hand,  I  felt  his  pulse  —  for  the 
hundredth  time,  perhaps.  There  was  no 
more  fever,  no  more  prostration,  than  was 
to  be  accounted  inevitable  from  such  a 
wound.     So  I  said  :  — 

"  Does  the  plan  commend  itself  to  you, 
dear  lad  ?     It  troubles  me  sore  to  leave 


In  a  Strange  Fellowship  157 

you  in  this  plight;  but  Father  Fafard  is 
skilful,  and  I  think  you  will  not  fret  for 
lack  of  tender  nursing.  You  will  not 
need  me,  lad ;  but  there  is  a  little  lad  with 
yellow  hair  who  needs  me  now,  and  I  must 
go  to  him." 

The  moment  I  had  spoken  these  last 
words  I  wished  them,  back,  for  Mizpah 
broke  down  all  at  once  in  a  terrible  passion 
of  tears.  But  I  was  ever  a  bungler  where 
women  are  concerned,  ever  saying  the 
wrong  thing,  ever  slow  to  understand 
their  strange,  swift  shiftings  of  mood. 
This  time,  however,  I  understood ;  for 
with  my  words  a  black  realization  of  the 
little  one's  lonely  fear  came  down  upon 
my  own  soul,  till  my  heart  cried  out  with 
pity  for  him  ;  and  Prudence  fell  a-weeping 
by  Marc's  head.  But  she  stopped  on  the 
instant,  fearing  to  excite  Marc  hurtfully, 
and  Marc  said  :  — 

"  Indeed,  Father,  think  not  a  moment 
more  of  me.  'Tis  the  poor  little  lad  that 
needs  you.  Oh  that  I  too  could  go  with 
you  on  the  quest !  " 

"To-morrow  I  go,"  said  I,  positively. 


158         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"just  as  soon  as  I  have  seen  Father 
Fafard." 

As  I  spoke,  Mizpah  went  out  suddenly, 
and  walked  with  rapid  strides  down  the 
road,  passing  Giraud  on  the  way  as  he 
came  from  mending  the  little  canoe  which 
I  was  to  take.  I  had  chosen  a  small  and 
light  craft,  not  knowing  what  streams  I 
might  have  to  ascend,  what  long  carries 
I  might  have  to  make.  As  Mizpah 
passed  him,  going  on  to  lean  her  arms 
upon  the  fence  and  stare  out  across  the 
water,  Giraud  turned  to  watch  her  for  a 
moment.  Then,  as  he  came  up  to  the 
door  where  we  sat,  he  took  off  his  woollen 
cap,  and  said  simply,  "  Poor  lady !  it  goes 
hard  with  her." 

"  My  friend,"  said  I,  "  will  these,  while 
I  am  gone,  be  safe  here  from  their  ene- 
mies,—  even  should  the  Black  Abbe  come 
in  person  ? " 

"  Master,"  he  replied,  with  a  certain 
proud  nobility,  which  had  ever  impressed 
me  in  the  man,  "  if  any  hurt  comes  to 
them,  it  will  be  not  over  my  dead  body 
alone,  but   over  those  of  a  dozen  more 


In  a  Strange  Fellowship         159 

stoat  fellows  who  would  die  to  serve 
you. 

"  I  believe  you,"  said  I,  reaching  out 
my  hand.  He  kissed  it,  and  went  off 
quickly  about  his  affairs. 

Hardly  was  he  gone  when  Mizpah 
came  back.  She  was  very  pale  and  calm, 
and  her  eyes  shone  with  the  fire  of  some 
intense  purpose.  Had  I  known  woman's 
heart  as  do  some  of  my  friends  whom  I 
could  mention,  I  should  have  fathomed 
that  purpose  at  her  first  words.  But  as 
I  have  said,  I  am  slow  to  understand  a 
woman's  hints  and  objects,  though  men 
I  can  read  ere  their  thoughts  find  speech. 
There  was  a  faint  glory  of  the  last  of 
sunset  on  Mizpah's  face  and  hair  as  she 
stood  facing  me,  her  lips  parted  to  speak. 
Behind  her  lay  the  little  garden,  with  its 
sunflowers  and  lupines,  and  its  thicket  of 
pole  beans  in  one  corner.  Then,  beyond 
the  gray  fence,  the  smooth  tide  of  the 
expanding  river,  violet-hued,  the  copper 
and  olive  wood,  the  marshes  all  greenish 
amber,  and  the  dusky  purple  of  the  hills. 
It   was   all    stamped    upon    my    memory 


i6o         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

in  delectable  and  imperishable  colours, 
though  I  know  that  at  the  moment  I  saw 
only  Mizpah's  tall  grace,  her  red-gold 
hair,  the  eyes  that  seemed  to  bring  my 
spirit  to  her  feet.  I  was  thinking,  "Was 
there  ever  such  another  woman*s  face,  or 
a  presence  so  gracious  ? "  when  I  realized 
that  she  was  speaking. 

"  Do  I  paddle  well.  Monsieur  ?  "  she 
asked,  with  the  air  of  one  who  repeats  a 
question. 

"  Pardon,  a  thousand  pardons,  Ma- 
dame ! "  I  exclaimed.  "  Yes,  you  use 
your  paddle  excellently  well." 

"And  I  can  shoot,  I  can  shoot  very 
skilfully,"  she  went  on,  with  strong  em- 
phasis. "  I  can  handle  both  pistol  and 
musket." 

"Indeed,  Madam.e!"  said  I,  considera- 
bly astonished. 

"Ask  Marc  if  I  am  not  a  cunning 
shot,"  she  persisted,  while  her  eyes  seemed 
to  burn  through  me  in  their  eager  intent- 
ness. 

"  Yes,  Father,"  came  Marc's  whispered 
response    out    of    the    shadow,   where    I 


In  a  Strange  Fellowship  i6i 


saw  only  the  bended  head  of  the  maid 
Prudence.  "Yes,  Father,  she  is  a  more 
cunning  marksman  than  I." 

I  turned  again  to  her,  and  saw  that  she 
expected,  that  she  thirsted  for,  an  answer. 
But  what  answer  ? 

"  Madame,"  said  I,  bowing  profoundly, 
and  hoping  to  cover  my  bewilderment 
with  a  courtly  speech,  "  may  I  hope  that 
you  will  fire  a  good  shot  for  me  some 
day ;  I  should  account  it  an  honour  above 
all  others  if  I  might  be  indebted  to  such  a 
hand  for  such  succour." 

She  clasped  her  hands  in  a  great  glad- 
ness,   crying,    "Then     I     may    go    with 


you'^ 


"Go  with  me!"  I  cried,  looking  at 
her  in  huge  amazement. 

"  She  wants  to  help  you  find  the  child," 
whispered  Marc. 

The  thought  of  this  white  girl  among 
the  perils  which  I  saw  before  me  pierced 
my  heart  with  a  strange  pang,  and  in  my 
haste  I  cried  rudely  :  — 

"  Nonsense  !  Impossible  !  Why,  it 
would  be  mere  madness  !  " 


1 62         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

So  bitter  was  the  pain  of  disappoint- 
ment which  wrung  her  face  that  I  put 
out  both  hands  towards  her  in  passionate 
deprecation. 

"  Forgive  me ;  oh,  forgive  me,  Ma- 
dame!" I  pleaded.  "But  how  could  I 
bring  you  into  such  perils?" 

But  she  caught  my  hands  and  would 
have  gone  on  her  knees  to  me  if  I  had 
not  stayed  her  roughly. 

"  Take  me  with  you,"  she  implored. 
"  I  can  paddle,  I  can  serve  you  as  well 
as  any  man  whom  you  can  get.  And  I 
am  brave,  believe  me.  And  how  can  I 
wait  here  when  my  boy,  my  darling,  my 
Philip,  is  alone  among  those  beasts  ?  I 
would  die  every  hour." 

How  could  I  refuse  her  ?  Yet  refuse 
her  1  would,  I  must.  To  take  her  would 
be  to  lessen  my  own  powers,  I  thought, 
and  to  add  tenfold  to  the  peril  of  the 
venture.  Nevertheless  my  heart  did  now 
so  leap  at  the  thought  of  this  strange, 
close  fellowship  which  she  demanded, 
that  I  came  near  to  silencing  my  better 
judgment,    and    saying    she    might    go. 


In  a  Strange  Fellowship  163 

But  I  shut  my  teeth  obstinately  on 
the  words. 

At  this  moment,  while  she  waited 
trembling,  Marc  once  more  intervened. 

"  You  might  do  far  worse  than  take 
her.  Father.  No  one  else  will  serve  you 
more  bravely  or  more  skilfully,  I  think." 

So  Marc  actually  approved  of  this  in- 
credible proposal  ?  Then  was  it,  after  all, 
so  preposterous  ?  My  wavering  must 
have  shown  itself  in  my  face,  for  her 
own  began  to  lighten  rarely. 

"  But  —  those  clothes  !  '*  said  I. 

At  this  she  flushed  to  her  ears.  But 
she  answered  bravely. 

"  I  will  wear  others ;  did  you  think  I 
would  so  hamper  you  with  this  guise  ? 
No,"  she  added  with  a  little  nervous 
laugh,  "I  will  play  the  man;  be   sure.** 

And  so,  though  I  could  scarce  believe 
it,  it  was  settled  that  Mizpah  Hanford 
should  go  with  me. 

That  night  I  found  little  sleep.  My 
thoughts  were  a  chaos  of  astonishment 
and  apprehension.  Marc,  moreover,  kept 
tossing,  for  his  wound  fretted  him  sorely. 


164         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

and  I  was  continually  at  his  side  to  give 
him  drink.  At  about  two  in  the  morn- 
ing there  came  a  horseman  to  the  garden 
gate,  riding  swiftly.  Hurrying  out  I  met 
him  in  the  path.  It  was  Father  Fafard, 
come  straight  upon  my  word.  He  turned 
his  horse  into  Giraud's  pasture,  put  saddle 
and  bridle  in  the  porchway,  and  then  fol- 
lowed me  in  to  Marc's  bedside. 

When  he  had  dressed  the  wound  anew, 
and  administered  a  soothing  draught,  Marc 
fell  into  a  quiet  sleep. 

"  He  will  do  well,  but  it  is  a  matter 
for  long  patience,"  said  the  Cure. 

Then  we  went  out  of  the  house  and 
down  to  the  garden  corner  by  the  thicket 
of  beans,  where  we  might  talk  freely  and 
jar  no  slumberers.  Father  Fafard  fell  in 
with  my  plans  most  heartily,  and  accepted 
my  charges.  To  hold  the  Black  Abbe  in 
check  at  any  point,  would,  he  felt,  be 
counted  unto  him  for  righteousness. 

My  mind  being  thus  set  at  ease,  I 
resolved  to  start  as  soon  as  might  be  after 
daybreak. 

Before  it  was  yet  full  day,  I  was  again 


In  a  Strange  Fellowship  165 

astir,  and  goodwife  Giraud  was  getting 
ready,  in  bags,  our  provision  of  bacon  and 
black  bread.  I  had  many  small  things  to 
do,  —  gathering  ammunition  for  two  mus- 
kets and  four  pistols,  selecting  my  paddles 
with  care  from  Giraud's  stock,  and  loading 
the  canoe  to  the  utmost  advantage  for  ease 
of  running  and  economy  of  space.  Then, 
as  I  went  in  to  the  goodwife's  breakfast, 
I  was  met  at  the  door  by  a  slim  youth  in 
leathern  coat  and  leggins,  with  two  pistols 
and  Marc's  whinger.  I  recognized  the 
carven  hilt  stuck  bravely  in  his  belt,  and 
Marc's  knitted  cap  of  gray  wool  on  his 
head,  well  pulled  down.  The  boy  blushed, 
but  met  my  eye  with  a  sweet  firmness,  and 
I  bowed  with  great  courtesy.  Even  in  this 
attire  I  thought  she  could  not  look  aught 
but  womanly  —  for  it  was  Mistress  Miz- 
pah.  Yet  I  could  not  but  confess  that 
to  the  stranger  she  would  appear  but  as  a 
singularly  handsome  stripling.  The  glory 
of  her  hair  was  hidden  within  her  cap. 

"  These  are  the  times,"  said  I,  seriously, 
"  that  breed  brave  women." 

Breakfast    done,    messages    and   orders 


1 66         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

repeated,  and  farewells  all  spoken,  the  sun 
was  perhaps  an  hour  high  when  we  pad- 
dled away  from  the  little  landing  under 
Giraud's  garden  fence.  I  waved  my  cap 
backwards  to  Prudence  and  the  Cure, 
where  they  stood  side  by  side  at  the 
landing.  My  comrade  in  the  bow  waved 
her  hand  once,  then  fell  to  paddling  dili- 
gently. I  was  still  in  a  maze  of  wonder- 
ment, ready  at  any  time  to  wake  and 
find  it  a  dream.  But  the  little  seas  that 
slapped  us  as  we  cleared  the  river  mouth, 
these  were  plainly  real.  I  headed  for  the 
eastern  point  of  the  island,  intending  to 
land  at  the  mouth  of  the  Piziquid  and 
make  some  inquiries.  The  morning  air 
was  like  wine  in  my  veins.  There  was 
a  gay  dancing  of  ripples  over  toward 
Blomidon,  and  the  sky  was  a  clear  blue. 
A  dash  of  cool  drops  wet  me.  It  was 
no  dream. 

And   so   in   a   strange  fellowship  I   set 
out  to  find  the  child. 


Chapter    XIII 

My  Comrade 

I  COULD  not  sufficiently  commend 
the  ease  and  aptness  with  which 
my  beautiful  comrade  wielded  her  paddle. 
But  in  a  while  the  day  grew  hot,  and  I 
bade  her  lie  back  in  her  place  and  rest. 
At  first  she  would  not,  till  I  was  com- 
pelled to  remind  her  in  a  tone  of  railing 
that  I  was  the  captain  in  this  enterprise, 
and  that  good  soldiers  must  obey.  Where- 
upon, though  her  back  was  toward  me,  I 
saw  a  flush  creep  around  to  her  little  ears, 
and  she  laid  the  paddle  down  something 
abruptly.  I  feared  that  I  had  vexed  her, 
and  I  made  haste  to  attempt  an  explana- 
tion, although  it  seemed  to  me  that  she 
should  have  understood  a  matter  so  ob- 
vious. 

"  I   beg  you   to  pardon  me,  Madame, 
167 


1 68         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

if  I  seem  to  insist  too  much,"  said  I,  with 
hesitation.  "  But  you  must  know  that, 
if  you  exhaust  yourself  at  the  beginning 
of  the  journey,  before  you  are  hardened 
to  the  long  continuance  of  such  work, 
you  will  be  unable  to  do  anything  to- 
morrow, and  our  quest  will  be  much 
hindered." 

"  Forgive  me  !  "  she  cried  ;  "  you  are 
right,  of  course.  Oh,  I  fear  I  have  done 
wrong  in  hampering  you !  But  I  am 
strong,  truly,  and  enduring  as  most  men. 
Monsieur." 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "but  to  do  one 
thing  strenuously  all  day  long,  and  for 
days  thereafter,  that  is  hard.  I  believe 
you  can  do  it,  or  I  should  have  been 
mad  indeed  to  bring  you.  But  you 
must  let  me  advise  you  at  the  beginning. 
For  this  first  day,  rest  often  and  save 
yourself  as  much  as  possible.  By  this 
means  you  will  be  able  to  do  better  to- 
morrow, and  better  still  the  day  after. 
By  the  other  means,  you  will  be  able  to 
do  little  to-morrow  most  likely,  and  per- 
haps nothing  the  day  after." 


'  I 


-mmSL 


mtm. 


■,^ 


'•  '  BUT    I    AM    STRONG,    TRULY 


My  Comrade  169 

(■ 

"Well,"  she  said,  turning  her  head 
partly  around,  so  that  I  could  see  the 
gracious  profile,  "tell  me.  Monsieur, 
when  to  work  and  when  to  rest.  I  will 
obey.  It  is  a  lucky  soldier,  I  know,  who 
has  the  Seigneur  de  Briart  to  command 

him." 

"But  I  fear,  Madame,"  said  I,  "that 
discipline  would  sadly  suffer  if  he  had 
often  such  soldiers  to  command." 

To    this    she    made    no   reply.     I    saw 
that    she    leaned   back    in    her   place   and 
changed  her  posture,  so  as  to   fulfil    my 
wish  and  rest  herself  to  the  best  advan- 
tage.      I    thought  my  words  over.      To 
me  they  seemed  to  have  that  savour  of 
compliment  which    I    would    now    avoid. 
I  felt  that  here,  under  these  strange  cir- 
cumstances, in  an  intimacy  which  might 
by  and    by  be  remembered    by  her  with 
some    little    confusion,    but    which     now, 
while   she   had    no   thought    but    for    the 
rescue    of   the    little    one,    contained    no 
shadow  of  awkwardness  for  her  clear  and 
earnest    soul,  —  I    felt   that   here  I   must 
hold  myself  under  bonds.     The  play  of 


lyo         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

graceful  compliment,  such  as  I  would 
have  practised  in  her  drawing-room  to 
show  her  the  courtliness  of  my  breeding, 
must  be  forsworn.  The  admiration,  the 
devotion,  the  worship,  that  burned  in  my 
eyes  whensoever  they  dwelt  upon  her, 
must  be  strictly  veiled.  I  must  seem  to 
forget  that  I  am  a  man  and  my  com- 
panion the  fairest  of  women.  Yes,  I 
kept  telling  myself,  I  must  regard  her 
as  a  comrade  only,  and  a  follower,  and 
a  boy.  I  must  be  frank  and  careless  in 
my  manner  toward  her ;  kind,  but  blunt 
and  positive.  She  will  think  nothing  of 
it  now,  and  will  blush  the  less  for  it  by 
and  by,  when  the  child  is  in  her  arms 
again,  and  she  can  once  more  give  her 
mind  to  little  matters. 

And  so  I  schooled  myself;  and  as  I 
watched  her  I  began  to  realize  more  and 
more,  with  a  delicious  warming  of  my 
heart,  what  instant  need  I  had  of  such 
schooling  if  I  would  not  have  her  see 
how  I  was  not  at  all  her  captain,  but 
her  bondsman. 

At  the  mouth  of  the   Piziquid  stream 


My  Comrade  171 

there  clustered  a  few  cottages,  not  enough 
to  call  a  village ;  and  here  we  stopped 
about  noon.  A  meal  of  milk  and  eggs 
and  freshly  baked  rye  cakes  refreshed  us, 
and  eager  as  was  our  haste,  I  judged  it 
wise  to  rest  an  hour  stretched  out  in  the 
shade  of  an  apple  tree.  To  this  halt, 
Mizpah,  after  one  glance  of  eager  ques- 
tion at  my  face,  made  no  demur,  and  I 
replied  to  the  glance  by  whispering :  — 

"That  is  a  good  soldier!  We  will  gain 
by  this  pause,  now.  We  will  travel  late 
to-night." 

The  cottagers  of  whom  we  had  our 
meal  were  folk  unknown  to  me  ;  and 
being  informed  that  the  Black  Abbe  had 
some  followers  in  the  neighbourhood,  I 
durst  give  no  hint  of  our  purpose.  By 
and  by  I  asked  carelessly  if  two  canoes, 
with  Indians  of  the  Shubenacadie,  had 
gone  by  this  way.  I  thought  that  the 
man  looked  at  me  with  some  suspicion. 
He  hesitated.  But  before  he  could  reply 
his  goodwife  answered  for  him,  with  the 
freedom  of  a  clear  conscience. 

"Yes,    M'sieu,"    she    chattered,    "two 


172         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

canoes,  and  four  Indians,  They  went  by- 
yesterday,  toward  sundown,  stopping  here 
for  water  from  our  well,  —  the  finest  water 
hereabouts,  if  I  do  say  it !  " 

"  They  went  up  the  river,  I  suppose," 
said  I. 

"  Oh,  but  no,  M'sieu,"  clattered  on  the 
worthy  dame.  "  They  went  straight  up 
the  bay.  Yes,  goodman,"  she  continued, 
changing  her  tone  sharply,  "  whenever 
I  open  my  mouth  you  glare  at  me  as 
if  I  was  talking  nonsense.  What  have 
I  said  wrong  now,  I'd  like  to  know. 
Ye3,  I'd  like  very  much  to  know  that, 
goodman.  Why  should  not  the  gentle- 
man know  that  they  had  —  " 

But  here  the  man  interrupted  her 
roughly.  "  Will  you  never  be  done 
your  prating  ?  "  he  cried.  "  Can't  you 
see  that  you  worry  the  gentlemen  ? 
How  should  they  care  to  know  that 
the  red  rascals  made  a  good  catch  of 
shad  off  the  island  ?  Now,  do  go  and 
get  some  of  your  fresh  buttermilk  for 
the  gentlemen  to  drink  before  they  go. 
Don't  you  see  they  are  starting  ? " 


My  Comrade  173 

And,  indeed,  Mizpah's  impatience  to 
be  gone  was  plainly  evident,  and  we  had 
rested  long  enough.  I  durst  not  look  at 
her  face,  lest  our  host  should  perceive 
that  I  had  heard  what  I  wanted  to  hear. 
I  spoke  casually  of  the  weather,  and  in- 
quired how  his  apples  and  his  flax  were 
faring,  and  so  filled  the  minutes  safely 
untir  the  goodwife  came  with  the  butter- 
milk. Having  both  drunk  gratefully  of 
the  cool,  delicately  acid,  nourishing  liquor, 
we  gave  the  man  a  piece  of  silver,  and  set 
out  in  good  heart. 

"  We  are  on  the  right  track,  comrade," 
said  I,  lightly,  steering  my  course  along 
the  shore  toward  Cobequid. 

Her  only  answer  was  to  fall  a-paddling 
with  such  an  eagerness  that  I  had  to 
check  her. 

"  Now,  now,"  I  said,  "  more  haste,  less 
speed." 

"  But  I  feel  so  strong  now,  and  so 
rested,"  she  cried  passionately.  "  Might 
we  not  overtake  them  to-night  ^  " 

"  Hardly  so  soon  as  that,  I  fear, 
Madame,"  I  answered.     "  This  is  a  stern 


174         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

chase,  and  it  is  like  to  be  a  long  one ; 
you  must  make  up  your  mind  to  that, 
if  you  would  not  have  a  fresh  disappoint- 
ment every  hour." 

"  Oh,"  she  broke  out,  "  if  it  were  your 
child  you  were  trying  to  find  and  save, 
you  would  not  be  so  cool  about  it." 

"  Believe  me,  Madame,"  said  I,  in  a 
low  voice,  "  I  am  not  perhaps  as  cool  as 
I  appear." 

"  Oh,  what  a  weak  and  silly  creature 
I  must  seem  to  you  !  "  she  cried.  "  But 
I  will  not  be  weak  and  silly  when  it  comes 
to  trial.  Monsieur,  I  promise  you.  I  will 
prove  worthy  of  your  confidence.  But 
make  allowance  for  me  now,  and  do  not 
judge  me  harshly.  Every  moment  I 
seem  to  hear  him  crying  for  me.  Mon- 
sieur." And  her  head  drooped  forward 
in  unspeakable  grief. 

I  could  think  of  nothing,  absolutely 
nothing,  to  say.  I  could  only  mutter 
hoarsely,  "  I  do  not  think  you  either  weak 
or  silly,  Madame." 

This  answer,  feeble  as  it  appeared  to 
myself,  seemed  in  a  sense  to  relieve  her. 


My  Comrade  175 

She  put  down  her  paddle,  leaned  forward 
upon  the  front  bar,  with  her  face  in  her 
hands,  and  sobbed  gently  for  a  few  min- 
utes. Then,  while  I  gazed  upon  her 
in  rapt  commiseration,  she  all  at  once 
resumed  the  paddle  briskly. 

For  my  own  part,  being  just  lately  re- 
turned from  a  long  expedition,  my  muscles 
were  like  steel ;  I  felt  that  I  should  never 
weary.  Steadily  onward  we  pressed,  past 
the  mouths  of  several  small  streams  whose 
names  I  did  not  know,  past  headland 
after  headland  of  red  clay  or  pallid  plaster 
rock.  As  the  tide  fell,  we  were  driven 
far  out  into  the  bay,  till  sometimes  there 
was  a  mile  of  oozy  red  flats  parting  us 
from  the  edge  of  the  green.  But  as  the 
tide  rose  again,  we  accompanied  its  seeth- 
ing vanguard,  till  at  last  we  were  again 
close  in  shore.  A  breeze  soon  after  mid- 
day springing  up  behind  us,  we  made 
excellent  progress.  But  soon  after  sun- 
set a  mist  arose,  which  made  our  journey 
too  perilous  to  be  continued.  I  turned 
into  a  narrow  cove  between  high  banks, 
where  the  brawling    of  a    shallow  brook 


176         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

promised  us  fresh  water.  And  there,  in  a 
thicket  of  young  fir  trees  growing  at  the 
foot  of  a  steep  bank,  I  set  up  the  canoe 
on  edge,  laid  some  poles  and  branches 
against  it,  and  had  a  secluded  shelter  for 
my  lady.  She  looked  at  it  with  a  grati- 
fied admiration  and  could  never  be  done 
with  thanking  me. 

Being  now  near  the  Shubenacadie  mouth, 
I  durst  not  light  a  fire,  but  we  uncomplain- 
ingly ate  our  black  bread ;  and  then  I  said  : 

"  We  will  start  at  first  gray,  comrade. 
You  will  need  all  the  sleep  you  can  win. 
Good  night,  and  kindly  dreams." 

"  Good  night.  Monsieur,"  she  said 
softly,  and  disappeared.  Then  going 
down  to  the  water's  side,  I  threw  off 
my  clothes,  and  took  a  swift  plunge 
which  steadied  and  refreshed  me  might- 
ily. Swimming  in  the  misty  and  mur- 
murous darkness,  my  venture  and  my 
strange  fellowship  seemed  more  like  a 
dream  to  me  than  ever,  and  I  could 
scarce  believe  myself  awake.  But  I  was 
awake  enough  to  feel  it  when,  in  stum- 
bling ashore,  I  scraped  my  foot  painfully 


My  Comrade  177 

on  a  jagged  shell.  However,  that  hurt 
was  soon  eased  and  staunched  by  holding 
it  for  a  little  under  the  chill  gushing  of 
the  brook ;  after  which  I  dressed  myself, 
gathered  a  handful  of  ferns  for  a  pillow, 
and  laid  myself  down  across  the  opening 
which  led  into  the  thicket. 


Chapter  XIV 
My  Comrade  Shoots  Excellently  Well 

FROM  a  medley  of  dreams,  in  which 
I  saw  Mizpah  binding  the  Black 
Abbe  with  cords  of  her  own  hair  —  tight, 
tighter,  till  they  ate  into  his  flesh,  and  I 
trembled  at  the  look  of  shaking  horror  in 
his  face  ;  in  which  then  I  saw  the  child 
chasing  butterflies  before  the  door  of  the 
Forge  in  the  Forest,  and  heard  Babin's 
hammer  beating  musically  on  his  anvil, 
till  the  sound  became  the  chiming  of  the 
Angelus  over  the  roofs  and  walls  of  Que- 
bec, where  Mizpah  and  I  walked  hand 
fast  together  on  the  topmost  bastion, — 
from  such  a  fleeting  and  blending  con- 
fusion as  this,  I  woke  to  feel  a  hand 
laid  softly  on  my  face  in  the  dark.  I 
needed  no  seeing  to  tell  me  whose  was 
the  hand,  so  slim,  so  cool,  so  softly  firm ; 

178 


My  Comrade  Shoots  Well       179 

and  I  had  much  ado  to  keep  my  lips  from 
reverently  kissing  it. 

"  Monsieur,  Monsieur,"  came  the  whis- 
per, "  what  is  that  noise,  that  voice  ?  " 

"  Pardon  me,  comrade,  for  sleeping  so 
soundly,"  I  murmured,  sitting  up,  and 
taking  her  hand  in  mine  with  a  rough 
freedom  of  goodwill,  as  merely  to  reas- 
sure her.     "  What  is  it  you  hear  ?  " 

But  before  she  could  reply,  I  heard 
it  myself,  a  strange,  chanting  cry,  slow 
and  plangent,  from  far  out  upon  the 
water.  Presently  I  caught  the  words, 
and  knew  the  voice. 

"  Woe,  woe  to  Acadie  the  fair,"  it  came 
solemnly,  "  for  the  day  of  her  desolation 
draws  nigh  !  " 

"  It  is  Grul,"  said  I,  "  passing  in  his 
canoe,  on  some  strange  errand  of  his." 

"  Grul  ?  Who  is  Grul  ?  "  she  ques- 
tioned, chnging  a  little  to  my  hand,  and 
then  dropping  it  suddenly. 

"A  quaint  madman  of  these  parts," 
said  I ;  "  and  yet  I  think  his  madness 
is  in  some  degree  a  feigning.  He  has 
twice  done  me  inestimable  service  —  once 


i8o         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

warning  us  of  an  immediate  peril,  and 
again  yesterday,  in  leading  us  to  the  spot 
where  you  were  held  captive.  For  some 
reason  unknown  to  me,  he  has  a  mar- 
vellous kindness  for  me  and  mine.  But 
the  Black  Abbe  he  hates  in  deadly  fashion 
—  for  some  ancient  and  ineffaceable  wrong, 
if  the  tale  tell  true." 

"  And  he  brought  you  to  us  ? "  she 
murmured,  with  a  sort  of  stillness  in  her 
voice,  which  caught  me  strangely. 

"Yes,  Gruldid!"  said  I. 

And  then  there  was  silence  between  us, 
and  we  heard  the  mysterious  and  sol- 
emn voice  passing,  and  dying  away  in  the 
distance.  My  ears  at  last  being  released 
from  the  tension  of  listening,  my  eyes 
began  to  serve  me,  and  through  the 
branches  I  marked  a  grayness  spreading 
in  the  sky. 

"  We  must  be  stirring,  Madame,"  said 
I,  rising  abruptly  to  my  feet.  "  Let  us 
take  our  bread  down  to  the  brook  and  eat 
it  there." 

But  she  was  already  gone,  snatching  up 
the  sack  of  bread ;  and  in  a  few  minutes, 


My  Comrade  Shoots  Well       i8i 

having  righted  the  canoe  and  carried  it 
down  to  a  convenient  landing-place,  I 
joined  her.  She  was  stretched  flat  beside 
a  little  basin  of  the  brook,  her  cap  off,  her 
hair  in  a  tight  coil  high  upon  her  head, 
her  sleeves  pulled  up,  while  she  splashed 
her  face  and  arms  in  the  running  coolness. 
Without  pulling  down  her  sleeves  or  re- 
suming her  cap,  she  seated  herself  on  a 
stone  and  held  out  to  me  a  piece  of  bread. 
In  the  coldly  growing  dawn  her  hair  and 
lips  were  colourless,  the  whiteness  of  her 
arms  shadowy  and  spectral.  Then  as  we 
slowly  made  our  meal,  I  bringing  water 
for  her  in  my  drinking-horn,  the  rose  and 
fire  and  violet  of  sunrise  began  to  sift 
down  into  our  valley  and  show  me  again 
the  hues  of  life  in  Mizpah's  face.  I 
sprang  up,  handed  her  the  woollen  cap, 
and  tried  hard  to  keep  my  eyes  from 
dwelling  upon  the  sweet  and  gracious 
curves  of  her  arms. 

"Aboard!  Aboard!"  I  cried,  and 
moved  off  in  a  bustling  fashion  to  get 
the  paddles.  In  a  few  minutes  we  were 
under  way,  thrusting  out  from  the  shore. 


1 82         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

and  pushing  through  myriad  Httle  curHng 
wisps  of  vapour,  which  rose  in  pale  hues 
of  violet  and  pink  all  over  the  oil-smooth 
surface  of  the  tide. 

For  some  time  we  paddled  in  silence. 
Then,  when  the  sun's  first  rays  fell  fairly 
upon  us,  I  exclaimed  lightly:  — 

"You  must  pull  down  your  sleeves, 
comrade." 

"  Why  ?  "  she  asked  quickly,  turning 
her  head  and  pausing  in  her  stroke. 

"  For  two  excellent  reasons  besides  the 
captain's  orders,"  said  I.  "  In  the  first 
place,  your  arms  will  get  so  sore  with 
sunburn,  that  you  won't  be  able  to  do 
your  fair  share  of  the  work.  In  the 
second  place,  if  we  should  meet  any 
strangers,  it  would  be  difficult  to  per- 
suade them  that  those  arms  were  manly 
enough  for  a  wood-ranger." 

"  Oh,"  she  said  quickly,  and  pulled 
down  the  sleeves  in  some  confusion. 

All  that  morning  we  made  excellent 
progress,  with  the  help  of  a  light  follow- 
ing wind.  When  the  sun  was  perhaps 
two  hours  high,  the  mouth  of  the  Shu- 


My  Comrade  Shoots  Well       183 


benacadie  opened  before  us  ;  and  because 
this  river  was  the  great  highway  of  the 
Black  Abbe's  red  people,  I  ran  the  canoe 
in  shore  and  concealed  it  till  I  had  climbed 
a  bluff  near  by  and  scanned  the  lower 
reaches  of  the  stream.  Finding  all  clear, 
we  put  out  again,  and  with  the  utmost 
haste  paddled  past  the  mouth.  Not  till 
we  were  behind  the  further  point,  and 
running  along  under  the  shelter  of  a  high 
bank,  did  I  breathe  freely.  Then  I  praised 
Mizpah,  for  in  that  burst  of  speed  her 
skill  and  force  had  amazed  me. 

But  she  turned  upon  me  with  the  ques- 
tion which  I  had  looked  for. 

"  If  that  is  the  Black  Abbe's  river," 
said  she,  with  great  eyes  fixing  mine, 
"and  the  Indians  have  gone  that  way, 
why  do  we  pass  by  ?  " 

"  I  owe  you  an  explanation,  comrade," 
said  I.  "  I  think  in  all  likelihood,  that  way 
leads  straight  to  your  child;  but  if  we 
went  that  way,  we  would  be  the  Abbe's 
prisoners  within  the  next  hour,  —  and  how 
would  we  help  the  child  then  ?  Oh,  no  ; 
I   am  bound  for  the  Black  Abbe's  back 


184         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

door.  A  few  leagues  beyond  this  lies  the 
River  des  Saumons,  and  on  its  banks  is 
a  settlement  of  our  Acadian  folk.  Many 
of  them  are  of  the  Abbe's  following,  and 
all  fear  him ;  but  I  have  there  two  faithful 
men  who  are  in  the  counsels  of  the  Forge. 
One  of  these  dwells  some  two  miles  back 
from  the  river,  half  a  league  this  side  of 
the  village.  I  will  go  to  him  secretly,  and 
send  him  on  to  the  Shubenacadie  for  in- 
formation.   Then  we  will  act  not  blindly.'* 

To  this  of  course  she  acquiesced  at 
once,  as  being  the  only  wise  way ;  but 
for  all  that,  with  each  canoe-length  that  we 
left  the  Shubenacadie  behind,  the  more 
did  her  paddle  lag.  The  impulse  seemed 
all  gone  out  of  her.  Soon  therefore  I 
bade  her  lay  down  the  blade  and  rest. 
In  a  little,  when  she  had  lain  a  while  with 
her  face  upon  her  arms,  —  whether  waking 
or  not  I  could  not  tell,  for  she  kept  her 
face  turned  away  from  me,  —  she  became 
herself  again. 

No  long  while  after  noon,  we  ran  into 
the  mouth  of  the  des  Saumons.  I  was 
hip-hly  elated  with  the  success  that  had  so 


My  Comrade  Shoots  Well       185 

far  attended  us,  —  the  speed  we  had  made, 
our  immunity  from  hindrance  and  ques- 
tion. We  landed  to  cat  our  hasty  meal, 
but  paused  not  long  to  rest,  being  urged 
now  by  the  keen  spur  of  imagined  near- 
ness to  our  goal.  Some  two  hours  more 
of  brisk  paddling  brought  us  to  a  narrow 
and  winding  creek,  up  which  I  turned. 
For  some  furlongs  it  ran  through  a  wide 
marsh,  but  at  length  one  bank  grew  high 
and  copsy.  Here  I  put  the  canoe  to 
land,  and  stepped  ashore,  bidding  Miz- 
pah  keep  her  place. 

Finding  the  spot  to  my  liking,  I  pulled 
the  canoe  further  up  on  the  soft  mud,  and 
astonished  Mizpah  by  telling  her  that  I 
must  carry  her  up  the  bank. 

"  But  why  ?  "  she  cried.  "  I  can  walk. 
Monsieur,  as  well  as  I  could  this  morning 
—  though  I  am  3,  little  stiff,"  she  added 
naively. 

"  The  good  soldier  asks  not  why,"  said 
I,  with  affected  severity.  "  But  I  will 
tell  you.  In  case  any  one  should  come 
in  my  absence,  there  must  be  but  one 
track  visible,  and  that  track. mine,  leading 


1 86         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

up  and  away  toward  the  settlement.  You 
must  lie  hidden  in  that  thicket,  and  keep 
guard.     Do  you  understand,  Madame  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  she,  —  "but  how  can  you? 
—  I  am  awfully  heavy." 

I  laughed  softly,  picked  her  up  as  I 
would  a  child,  and  carried  her  to  the  edge 
of  the  woods,  where  I  let  her  down  on 
one  end  of  a  fallen  tree. 

"  Now,  comrade,"  said  I,  "  if  you  will 
go  circumspectly  along  this  log  you 
will  leave  no  trace.  Hide  yourself  in 
the  thicket  there  close  to  the  canoe,  keep 
your  pistols  primed,  and  watch  till  I  come 
back,  —  and  the  blessed  Virgin  guard 
you  !  "  I  added,  with  a  sudden  fervour. 

Then,  having  lifted  the  canoe  alto- 
gether clear  of  the  water,  I  set  forth  at 
a  swinging  trot  for  Martin's  farm. 

I  found  my  trusty  habitant  at  home, 
and  ready  to  do  any  errand  of  mine  ere  I 
could  speak  it.  But  when  I  told  him 
what  I  wanted  of  him  he  started  in  some 
excitement. 

"  Why,  Monsieur,"  he  cried,  "  I  have 
the  very  tidings  you  seek.     I  myself  saw 


My  Comrade  Shoots  Well       187 

a  canoe  with  two  Indians  pass  up  the  river 
this  morning ;  and  they  had  a  little  child 
with  them,  —  a  child  with  long  yellow 
hair." 

"Up  this  river!"  I  exclaimed.  "Then 
whither  can  they  be  taking  him  ?  " 

"  They  did  not  leave  him  in  the  vil- 
lage," answered  Martin,  positively,  "  for 
the  word  goes  that  they  passed  on  up  in 
great  haste.  By  the  route  they  have 
taken,  they  are  clearly  bound  for  the 
Straits  —  " 

"  Ay,  they'll  cross  to  the  head  of  the 
Pictook,  and  descend  that  stream,"  said 
I.  "  But  which  way  will  they  turn  then  ? " 
—  For  I  was  surprised  and  confused  at 
the  information. 

"Well,  Monsieur,"  said  Martin,  "when 
they  get  to  the  Straits,  who  knows  ?  They 
may  be  going  across  to  He  St.  Jean.  They 
may  turn  south  to  He  Royale ;  for  the 
English,  I  hear,  have  no  hold  there,  save 
at  Louisburg  and  Canseau.  Or  they 
may  turn  north  toward  Miramichi.  Who 
knows  —  save  the   Black  Abbe  ?  " 

"  I  must  overtake  them,"  said  I,  reso- 


1 88         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

lutely.  "Good-bye,  my  friend  and  thank 
you.  If  all  goes  well,  you  will  get  a 
summons  from  the  Forge  ere  the  moon 
is  again  at  the  full;"  and  I  made  haste 
back  to  the  spot  where  Mizpah  waited. 

As  I  swung  along,  I  congratulated  my- 
self on  the  good  fortune  which  had  so 
held  me  to  the  trail.  Then  I  fell  to  think- 
ing of  my  comrade,  and  the  wonder  of  the 
situation,  and  the  greater  wonder  of  her 
eyes  and  hair, —  which  thoughts  sped  the 
time  so  sweetly  that  ere  I  could  believe  it 
I  saw  before  me  the  overhanging  willows, 
and  the  thicket  by  the  stream.  Then  I 
stopped  as  if  I  had  been  struck  in  the 
face,  and  shook  with  a  sudden  fear. 

At  my  very  feet,  fallen  across  the  dead 
tree  which  I  have  already  mentioned,  lay 
the  body  of  an  Indian.  Every  line  of  the 
loose,  sprawled  body  told  me  that  he  had 
met  an  instant  death,  —  and  a  bullet  hole 
in  his  back  showed  me  the  manner  of  it. 
Only  for  a  second  did  I  pause.  Then 
I  sprang  into  the  thicket,  with  a  horror 
catching  at  my  heart.  There  was  Mizpah 
lying   on   her    face,  —  and    a    hoarse    cry 


My  Comrade  Shoots  Well       189 

broke  from  my  lips.  But  even  as  I 
flung  myself  down  beside  her  I  saw  that 
she  v/as  not  dead.  No,  she  was  shaking 
with  sobs,  —  and  the  naturalness  of  it, 
strange  to  say,  reassured  me  on  the 
instant.  I  made  to  lift  her,  when  she 
sprang  at  once  to  her  feet,  and  looked 
at  me  wildly.  I  took  her  hand,  to  com- 
fort her;  but  she  drew  it  away,  and 
gazed  upon  it  with  a  kind  of  shrinking 
horror. 

I  understood  now  what  had  happened. 
Nevertheless,  knowing  not  just  the  best 
thing  to  say,  I  asked  her  what  was  the 
matter. 

"  Oh,"  she  cried,  covering  her  eyes, 
"  I  killed  him.  He  threw  up  his 
hands,  and  groaned,  and  fell  like  a  log. 
How  could  I  do  it  ?  How  could  I 
do  it  ? " 

I  tried  to  assure  her  that  she  had  done 
well ;  but  finding  that  she  would  pay  me 
no  heed,  I  went  to  look  at  her  victim.  I 
turned  him  over,  and  muttered  a  thanks- 
giving to  Heaven  as  I  recognized  him 
for  one  of  the  worst  of  the  Black  Abbe's 


190         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

flock.      I  found   his  tracks  all   about   the 
canoe.     Then  I  weiic  back  to   Mizpah. 

"Good  soldier!  Good  comrade!"  said 
Ij  earnestly.  "You  have  killed  Little 
Fox,  the  blackest  and  cruelest  rogue 
on  the  whole  Shubenacadie.  Oh,  I  tell 
you  you  have  done  a  good  deed  this 
day  !  '* 

The  knowledge  of  this  appeared  to 
ease  her  somewhat,  and  in  a  few  moments 
I  gathered  the  details.  The  Indian  had 
come  suddenly  to  the  bank,  and  seeing  a 
canoe  there  had  examined  it  curiously, — 
she,  the  while,  waiting  in  great  fear,  for 
she  had  at  once  recognized  him  as  one  of 
her  former  captors,  and  one  of  whom  she 
stood  in  special  dread.  While  looking  at 
our  things  in  the  canoe,  he  had  appeared 
all  at  once  to  understand.  He  had  picked 
up  my  coat,  and  examined  it  carefully, — 
and  the  grin  that  disclosed  his  long  teeth 
disclosed  also  that  he  recognized  it. 
Looking  to  the  priming  of  his  musket, 
he  started  cautiously  up  the  bank  upon 
my  trail. 

"As  soon  as  he  left   the  canoe,"  said 


My  Comrade  Shoots  Well       191 

Mizpah,  still  shaken  with  sobs,  "I  knew 
that  something  must  be  done.  If  he  went 
away,  it  would  be  just  to  give  the  alarm, 
and  then  we  could  not  escape,  and  Philip 
would  be  lost  forever.  But  I  saw  that, 
instead  of  going  away,  he  was  going  to 
track  you  and  shoot  you  down.  I  didn't 
know  what  to  do,  or  how  I  could  ever 
shoot  a  man  in  cold  blood, —  but  some- 
thing 7nade  me  do  it.  Just  as  he  reached 
the  end  of  the  log,  I  seemed  to  see  him 
already  shooting  you,  away  in  the  woods 
over  there,  —  and  then  I  fired.  And 
oh,  oh,  oh,  I  shall  never  forget  how  he 
groaned  and  fell  over!"  And  she  stared 
at  her  right  hand. 

"  Comrade,"  said  I,  "  I  owe  my  life  to 
you.  He  would  have  shot  me  down ;  for, 
as  I  think  of  it,  I  went  carelessly,  and 
seldom  looked  behind  when  I  got  into 
the  woods.  To  be  so  incautious  is  not 
my  way,  believe  me.  I  know  not  how  it 
was,  unless  I  so  trusted  the  comrade 
whom  I  had  left  behind  to  guard  my 
trail.  And  now,  here  are  news  !  They 
have  brought  the  child  this  way,  up  this 


192         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

very  river !  The  saints  have  surely  led 
us  thus  far,  for  we  are  hot  upon  their 
track ! " 

And  this  made  her  forget  to  weep  for 
the  excellence  of  her  shooting. 


Chapter  XV 
GruFs  Hour 

THOUGH  we  were  in  a  hot  haste  to 
get  away,  it  was  absolutely  neces- 
sary first  to  bury  the  dead  Indian,  lest  a 
hue  and  cry  should  be  raised  that  might 
involve  and  delay  us.  With  my  paddle, 
therefore,  I  dug  him  a  shallow  grave  in 
the  soft  mud  at  the  edge  of  the  tide, 
which  was  then  on  the  ebb.  This  meagre 
inhumation  completed,  I  smoothed  the 
surface  as  best  I  could  with  my  paddle ; 
and  then  we  set  off,  resting  easy  in 
the  knowledge  that  the  next  tide  would 
smooth  down  all  traces  of  the  work. 

It  was  by  this  close  upon  sunset,  and  I 
felt  a  little  hesitation  as  to  what  we  had 
best  do.  I  had  no  wish  to  run  through 
the  settlement  till  after  dark,  nor  was  I 
anxious    to   push   on   against  the   furious 

193 


194         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

ebb  of  the  des  Saumons,  against  which  the 
strongest  paddlers  could  make  slow  head- 
way. But  it  was  necessary  to  get  out  of 
the  creek  before  the  water  should  quite 
forsake  us ;  and,  moreover,  Mizpah  was 
in  a  fever  of  haste  to  be  gone.  She 
kept  gazing  about  as  if  she  expected 
the  savage  to  rise  from  his  muddy  grave 
and  point  at  her.  We  ran  out  of  the 
creek,  therefore,  and  were  instantly  caught 
in  the  great  current  of  the  river.  I  suf- 
fered it  to  sweep  us  down  for  half  a  mile, 
having  noted  on  the  way  up  a  cluster  of 
haystacks  in  an  angle  of  the  dyke.  Com- 
ing to  these,  I  pushed  ashore  at  once,  car- 
ried the  canoe  up,  and  found  that  the 
place  was  one  where  we  might  rest  secure. 
Here  we  ate  our  black  bread  and  drank 
new  milk,  for  there  were  many  cattle  pas- 
turing on  the  aftermath,  and  some  of  the 
cows  had  not  yet  gone  home  to  milking. 
Then,  hiding  the  canoe  behind  the  dyke, 
and  ourselves  between  the  stacks,  in  great 
weariness  we  sought  our  sleep. 

There  was  no  hint  of  dawn  in  the  sky 
wnen  I  awoke  with  a  start ;  but  the  con- 


Grul's  Hour  195 

stellations  had  swung  so  wide  an  arc  that 
I  knew  morning  was  close  at  hand.  There 
was  a  hissing  clamour  in  the  river-bed 
which  told  me  the  tide  was  coming  in. 
That,  doubtless,  was  the  change  which 
had  so  swiftly  aroused  me.  I  went  to 
the  other  side  of  the  stack,  where  Miz- 
pah  lay  with  her  cheek  upon  her  arm, 
her  hair  fallen  adorably  about  her  neck. 
Touching  her  forehead  softly  with  my 
hand,  I  whispered  :  — 

"  Come,  comrade,  the  tide  has  turned  !  " 
Whereupon  she  sat  up  quietly,  as  if  this 
were  for  her  the  most  usual  of  awaken- 
ings, and  began  to  arrange  her  hair.  I 
went  out  upon  the  shadowy  marsh  and 
soon  accomplished  a  second  theft  of  new 
milk,  driving  the  tranquil  cow  which  fur- 
nished it  into  the  corner  behind  the  stacks, 
that  our  dairy  might  be  the  more  con- 
veniently at  hand.  Our  fast  broken  (and 
though  I  hinted  nought  of  it  to  Mizpah, 
I  found  black  bread  growing  monotonous), 
I  carried  the  canoe  down  to  the  edge  of 
the  tide.  But  Mistress  Mizpah's  dainti- 
ness revolted  at  the  mud,  v/hereupon  she 


196         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

took  off  her  moccasins  and  stockings  be- 
fore she  came  to  it,  and  I  caught  a  gleam 
of  sHm  white  feet  at  the  dewy  edge  of 
the  grass.  When  I  had  carried  down 
the  paddles,  pole,  and  baggage,  I  found 
her  standing  in  a  quandary.  She  could 
not  get  into  the  canoe  with  that  sticky 
clay  clinging  to  her  feet,  and  there  was  no 
place  where  she  could  sit  down  to  wash 
them.  Carelessly  enough  (though  my 
heart  the  while  trembled  within  me)5  I 
stretched  out  my  hand  to  her,  saying:  — 

"  Lean  on  me,  comrade,  and  then  you 
can  manage  it  all  right." 

And  so  it  was  that  she  managed  it ;  and 
so  indifferently  did  I  cast  my  eyes  about, 
now  at  the  breaking  dawn,  now  at  the 
swelling  tide,  that  I  am  sure  she  must 
have  deemed  that  I  saw  not  or  cared  not 
at  all  how  white  and  slender  and  shapely 
were  her  feet ! 

In  few  minutes  we  were  afloat,  going 
swiftly  on  the  tide.  The  sky  was  all  saf- 
fron as  we  slipped  through  the  settlement, 
and  a  fairy  glow  lay  upon  the  white  cot- 
tages.    The   banks   on   either  hand  took 


Grurs  Hour  197 

on   the   ineffable   hues  of  polished  nacre. 
To  the  door  of  one  cottage,  close  by  the 
water,  came  a   man   yawning,  and   hailed 
us.     But  I  flung  back  a  mere  ''Bon  jour,'' 
and  sped  on.     Not  till  the  settlement  was 
out  of  sight  behind  us,  not  till  the  cross 
on  the  spire  of  the  village  was  quite  cut 
off  from  view,  did  I  drop  to  the  even  pace 
of  our   day-long  journeying.       When   at 
length  we  got  beyond  the  influence  of  the 
tide,  des  Saumons  was  a  shallow,  sparkling, 
singing  stream,  its  bed  aglow  with  ruddy- 
coloured    rocks.     Here   I    laid    aside  my 
paddle  and  thrust  the  canoe  onwards  by 
means  of  my  long  pole  of  white  spruce, 
while  Mizpah  had  nought  to  do  but  lean 
back  and  watch  the  shores  creep  by. 

At  the  head  of  tide  we  had  stopped  to 
drink  and  to  breathe  a  little.  And  there, 
seeing  an  old  man  working  in  front  of  a 
solitary  cabin,  I  had  deemed  it  safe  to  ap- 
proach him  and  purchase  a  few  eggs. 
After  this  we  kept  on  till  an  hour  past 
noon,  when  I  stopped  in  a  bend  of  the 
river,  at  the  foot  of  a  perpendicular  cliff  of 
red  rock  some  seventy  or  eighty  feet  in 


198         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

height.  Here  was  a  thicket  wherein  we 
might  hide  both  the  canoe  and  ourselves 
if  necessary.  The  canoe  I  hid  at  once, 
that  being  a  matter  of  the  more  time. 
Then  we  both  set  ourselves  to  gathering 
dry  sticks,  for  it  seemed  to  me  we  might 
here  risk  the  luxury  of  a  fire,  with  a  din- 
ner of  roasted  eggs. 

We  had  gathered  but  a  handful  or  two, 
when  I  heard  a  crashing  in  the  underbrush 
at  the  top  of  the  cliff;  and  in  a  second, 
catching  Mizpah  by  the  hand,  I  had 
dragged  her  into  hiding.  Through  a 
screen  of  dark  and  drooping  hemlock 
boughs  we  gazed  intently  at  the  top  of 
the  cliff,  —  and  I  noted,  without  thinking 
worth  while  to  remedy  my  oversight,  that 
I  had  forgotten  to  release  Mizpah's 
hand. 

The  crashing  noise,  mingled  with  some 
sharp  outcries  of  rage  and  fear,  continued 
for  several  minutes.  Then  there  was 
silence ;  and  I  saw  at  the  brink  a  pointed 
cap  stuck  full  of  feathers,  and  the  glare  of 
a  black  and  yellow  cloak. 

"  Grul !  "   I  whispered,  in  astonishment ; 


GruFs  Hour  199 

and   I  felt  an   answering   surprise   in   the 
tightened  clasp  of  Mizpah's  hand. 

A  moment  more  and  Grul  peered  over 
the  brink,  scrutinizing  the  upper  and  lower 
reaches  of  the  river.  He  held  a  coil  of 
rope,  one  end  of  which  he  had  made  fast 
to  a  stout  birch  tree  which  leaned  well  out 
over  the  edge. 

"  What  is  he  going  to  do  ?  '*  murmured 
Mizpah,  with  wide  eyes. 

"  We'll  soon  see !  ''  said  I,  marveUing 
mightily. 

The  apparition  vanished  for  some 
minutes,  then  suddenly  reappeared  close 
to  the  brink.  He  carried,  as  lightly  as  if 
it  had  been  a  bundle  of  straw,  the  body  of 
a  man,  so  bound  about  with  many  cords 
as  to  remind  me  of  nothing  so  much  as  a  fly 
in  the  death  wrappings  of  some  black  and 
yellow  spider.  To  add  to  the  semblance, 
the  victim  was  dressed  in  black,  —  and  a 
closer  scrutiny  showed  that  he  was  a 
priest. 

"  It  is  the  Black  Abbe,  none  other,"  I 
murmured,  in  a  kind  of  awe;  while  Miz- 
pah   shrank    closer    to    my    side   with   a 


200         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

sense  of  impending  tragedies.  "  Grul  has 
come  to  his  revenge  !  "   I  added. 

In  a  business  fashion  Grul  knotted  the 
end  of  his  coil  of  rope  about  the  prisoner's 
body,  the  feathers  and  flowers  in  his  cap, 
meanwhile,  nodding  with  a  kind  of  satis- 
fied rhythm.  Then  he  lowered  the  swathed 
and  helpless  but  silently  writhing  figure  a 
little  way  from  the  brink,  governing  the 
rope  with  ease  by  means  of  a  half-twist 
about  a  jutting  stump.  There  was  some- 
thing indescribably  terrifying  in  the  sight 
of  the  fettered  form  swinging  over  the 
deep,  with  shudderings  and  twistings,  and 
the  safe  edge  not  a  yard  length  above  him. 
I  pitied  him  in  spite  of  myself;  and  I  put 
a  hand  over  Mizpah's  eyes  that  she 
might  not  see  what  was  coming.  But  she 
pushed  my  hand  away,  and  stared  in  a 
fascination. 

For  some  moments  Grul  gazed  down  in 
silence  upon  his  victim. 

I  fancied  I  caught  the  soul-piercing 
flame  of  his  mad  eyes ;  but  this  was 
doubtless  due  to  my  imagination  rather 
than  to  the  excellence  of  my  vision.     Sud- 


"SWINGING    OVER    THE    DEEP,    WITH    SHUDDERINGS    AND 

TWISTINGS  " 


Grul's   Hour  20l 

denly  the  victim,  his  fortitude  giving  way 
with  the  sense  of  the  deadly  gulf  beneath 
him,  and  with  the  pitiless  inquisition  of 
that  gaze  bent  down  upon  him,  broke  out 
into  wild  pleadings,  desperate  entreaties, 
screams  of  anguished  fear,  till  I  myself 
trembled  at  it,  and  Mizpah  covered  her 
ears. 

"  Oh,  stop  it !  save  him  !  "  she  whis- 
pered to  me,  with  white  lips.  But  I  shook 
my  head.  I  could  not  reach  the  top  of 
the  cliff.  And  moreover,  I  had  small 
doubt  that  Grul's  vengeance  was  just. 
Nevertheless,  had  I  been  at  the  top  of 
the  cliff  instead  of  the  bottom,  I  had  cer- 
tainly put  a  stop  to  it. 

After  listening  for  some  moments,  with 
a  sort  of  pleasant  attention,  to  the  victim's 
ravings,  Grul  lay  flat,  thrust  his  head  and 
shoulders  far  out  over  the  brink,  and 
reached  down  a  long  arm.  I  saw  the  gleam 
of  a  knife  in  his  darting  hand  ;  and  I  drew 
a  quick  breath  of  relief. 

"  That  ends  it,"  said  I ;  and  I  shifted 
my  position,  which  I  had  not  done,  as  it 
seemed  to  me,  for  an  eternity.     The  vie- 


202         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

tim's  screaming  had  ceased  before  the 
knife  touched  him. 

But  I  was  vastly  mistaken  in  thinking 
it  the  end. 

"  He  has  not  killed  him,"  muttered 
Mizpah. 

And  then  I  saw  that  Grul  had  merely 
cut  the  cord  which  bound  his  captive's 
hands.  The  Abbe  was  swiftly  freeing 
himself;  and  Grul,  meanwhile,  was  lower- 
ing him  down  the  face  of  the  cliff.  When 
the  unhappy  captive  had  descended  per- 
haps twenty  feet,  his  tormentor  secured 
the  rope,  and  again  lay  down  with  his  head 
and  shoulders  leaning  over  the  brink,  his 
hands  playing  carelessly  with  the  knife. 

The  Abbe,  with  many  awkward  gest- 
ures, presently  got  his  limbs  free,  and  the 
cord  which  had  enwound  him  fell  trailing 
like  a  snake  to  the  cliff  foot.  Then, 
with  clawing  hands  and  sprawling  feet,  he 
clutched  at  the  smooth,  inexorable  rock, 
in  the  vain  hope  of  getting  a  foothold. 
It  was  pitiful  to  see  his  mad  struggles, 
and  the  quiet  of  the  face  above  looking 
down    upon    them    with    unimpassioned 


GruFs  Hour 


203 


interest ;  till  at  last,  exhausted,  the  poor 
wretch  ceased  to  struggle,  and  looked 
up  at  his  persecutor  with  the  silence  of 
despair. 

Presently  Grul  spoke,  —  for  the  first 
time,  as  far  as  we  knew. 

"  You  know  me.  Monsieur  TAbbe,  I 
suppose,"  he  remarked,  in  tone  of  placid 
courtesy. 

"  I  know  you,  Fran9ois  de  Grul,"  came 
the  reply,  gasped  from  a  dry  mouth. 

"  Then  further  explanation,  I  think  you 
will  allow,  is  not  needed.  I  will  bid  you 
farewell,  and  a  pleasant  journey,"  went  on 
the  same  civil  modulations  of  GruFs  voice. 
At  the  same  moment  he  reached  down  with 
his  shining  blade  as  if  to  sever  the  rope. 

"  I  did  not  do  it !  I  did  not  do  it !  " 
screamed  the  Abbe,  once  more  clutching 
convulsively  at  the  smooth  rock.  "  I 
swear  to  you  by  all  the  saints  !  " 

Grul  examined  the  edge  of  his  knife. 
He  tested  it  with  his  thumb.  I  saw  him 
glance  along  it  critically.  Then  he  touched 
it,  ever  so  lightly,  to  the  rope,  so  that  a 
single  strand  parted. 


204         The  Forge  In  the  Forest 

"  Swear  to  me,"  he  said,  in  the  mildest 
voice,  "  swear  to  me.  Monsieur  1' Abbe, 
that  you  had  no  part  in  it.  Swear  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  Monsieur  I'Abbe  !  " 

But  the  Abbe  was  silent. 

"  Swear  me  that  oath  now,  good  Abbe," 
repeated  the  voice,  with  a  kind  of  cour- 
teous insistence. 

"  I  will  not  swear !  "  came  the  ghastly 
whisper  in  reply. 

At  this  an  astonishing  change  passed 
over  the  face  that  peered  down  from  the 
brink.  Its  sane  tranquillity  became  a 
very  paroxysm  of  rage.  The  grotesque 
cap  was  dashed  aside,  and  Grul  sprang  to 
his  feet,  waving  his  arms,  stamping  and 
leaping,  his  gaudy  cloak  a-flutter,  his  long 
white  hair  and  beard  twisting  as  if  with  a 
sentient  fury  of  their  own.  He  was  so 
close  upon  the  brink  that  I  held  my  breath, 
expecting  him  to  be  plunged  headlong. 
But  all  at  once  the  paroxysm  died  out  as 
suddenly  as  it  had  begun ;  and  throwing 
himself  down  in  his  former  position,  Grul 
once  more  touched  the  knife  edge  to  the 
rope,  severing  fibre  by  fibre,  slowly,  slowly. 


Grul's  Hour  205 

With  the  first  touch  upon  the  rope  rose 
the  Abbe  s  voice  again,  but  no  longer  in 
vain  entreaty  and  coward  wailings.  I  lis- 
tened with  a  great  awe,  and  a  sob  broke 
from  Mizpah's  lips.  It  was  the  prayer 
for  the  passing  soul.  We  heard  it  poured 
forth  in  steady  tones  but  swift,  against  the 
blank  face  of  the  cliff.  And  we  waited  to 
see  the  rope  divided  at  a  stroke. 

But  to  our  astonishment,  Grul  sprang 
to  his  feet  again,  in  another  fury,  and 
flung  aside  his  knife.  With  twitching 
hands  he  loosened  the  rope  and  began 
lowering  his  victim  rapidly,  till,  within 
some  twenty  feet  of  the  bottom,  the  Abbe 
found  a  footing,  and  stopped.  Then 
Grul  tossed  the  whole  rope  down  upon 
him. 

"  Go  ! "  he  cried  in  his  chanting,  bell- 
like tones.  "  The  cup  of  your  iniquity  is 
not  yet  full.  You  shall  not  die  till  your 
soul  is  so  black  in  every  part  that  you  will 
go  down  straight  into  hell !  "  And  turn- 
ing abruptly,  he  vanished. 

The  Black  Abbe,  as  if  seized  with  a 
faintness,  leaned  against  the  rock  for  some 


2o6         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

minutes.  Then,  freeing  himself  from  the 
rope,  he  climbed  down  to  the  foot  of  the 
cliff,  and  moved  off  slowly  by  the  water's 
edge  toward  Cobequid.  We  trembled  lest 
he  should  see  us,  or  the  canoe,  —  I  having 
no  stomach  for  an  attack  upon  one  who 
had  just  gone  through  so  dreadful  a  tor- 
ment. But  his  face,  neck,  ears,  were  like 
a  sweating  candle  ;  and  his  contracted  eyes 
seemed  scarce  to  see  the  ground  before  his 
feet. 

"  Seemed,"    I    say.     Yet  even   in    this 
supreme  moment,  he  tricked  me. 


Chapter  XVI 
I  Cool  My  Adversaries'   Courage 

WE  now,  having  been  so  long  delayed, 
gave  up  our  purpose  of  a  fire,  and 
contented  ourselves  with  the  eggs  raw. 
I  also  cut  some  very  thin  slices  of  the 
smoked  and  salted  bacon,  to  eat  with  our 
black  bread,  for  I  knew  that,  working  as 
we  did,  we  needed  strong  food.  But 
Mizpah  would  not  touch  the  uncooked 
bacon,  though  its  savour,  I  assured  her, 
was  excellent.  We  had  but  well  begun 
our  meal,  and  I  was  stooping  over  the 
hard  loaf,  when  a  startled  exclamation 
from  Mizpah  made  me  look  up.  Close 
behind  us  stood  Grul,  impatiently  twist- 
ing his  little  white  rod  with  the  scarlet 
head.  His  eyes  were  somewhat  more 
piercing,  more  like  blue  flame,  than  ordi- 
narily, but  otherwise  he  looked  as  usual. 

207 


2o8         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

So  Httle  mark  remained  upon  him  of  the 
scene  just  enacted.  Both  wise  and  mad  ! 
I  thought. 

It  struck  me  that  he  was  pleased  with 
the  impression  he  so  plainly  made  on  us 
both,  and  for  a  moment  he  looked  upon 
us  in  silence.  Then  swiftly  pointing  his 
stick  at  us,  he  said  sharply :  — 

"  Fools  !  Do  you  wait  here  ?  But  the 
hound  is  on  the  trail.  Do  you  dream  he 
did  not  see  you  ?  '* 

Then  he  turned  to  go.  But  Mizpah 
was  at  his  side  instantly,  catching  him  by 
the  wrist,  and  imploring  him  to  tell  us 
which  way  her  child  had  been  carried. 

Grul  stopped  and  looked  down  upon 
her  with  austere  dignity,  but  without  re- 
plying. Passionately  Mizpah  entreated 
him,  not  to  be  denied ;  and  at  last,  lightly 
but  swiftly  removing  her  fingers  from  his 
wrist,  he  muttered  oracularly  :  — 

"  They  will  take  him  to  the  sea  that  is 
within  the  heart  of  the  land  !  But  go  !  " 
he  repeated  with  energy,  "  or  you  will  not 
go  far ! "  and  with  steps  so  smooth  that 
they  seemed  not  to  touch  the  ground,  he 


I   Cool   My  Adversaries'   Courage     209 

went  past  the  cliff  foot.  His  gaudy- 
mantle  shone  for  a  moment,  and  he  was 
gone. 

The  ominous  urgency  of  his  warning 
rang  in  our  ears,  and  we  were  not  slow  in 
making  our  own  departure. 

"  What  does  he  mean  by  '  the  sea  that 
is  within  the  heart  of  the  land '  ?  "  asked 
Mizpah,  as  we  hurriedly  launched  the 
canoe. 

"  He  means  the  Bras  d'Or  lakes,"  I 
said,  "  those  wonderful  reaches  of  land- 
locked sea  that  traverse  the  heart  of  lie 
Royale.  It  is  a  likely  enough  way  for  the 
savages  to  go.  There  are  villages  both 
of  Acadians  and  of  Indians  on  the  island." 

As  we  were  to  learn  afterwards,  how- 
ever, Grial  had  told  us  falsely.  The  child 
was  not  destined  for  He  Royale.  Whether 
the  strange  being  really  thought  he  was 
directing  us  aright,  or,  his  vanity  not  per- 
mitting him  to  confess  that  he  did  not 
know,  trusted  to  a  guess  with  the  hope 
that  it  might  prove  a  prophecy,  I  have 
never  been  able  to  determine.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  Fate  did  presently  so  take 


2IO         The  Forge  In  the  Forest 

our  affairs  into  her  own  hands,  that  Grul's 
misinformation  affected  the  end  not  at  all. 
But  his  warning  and  his  exhortation  to 
speed  we  had  to  thank  for  our  escape  from 
the  perils  that  soon  came  upon  us.  Had 
we  not  been  thus  warned,  without  doubt 
WQ  should  have  been  taken  unawares  and 
perished  miserably. 

On  the  incidents  of  our  journey  for  the 
rest  of  that  day,  and  up  to  something  past 
noon  of  the  day  following,  I  need  not 
particularly  dwell.  Suffice  to  say  that  we 
accomplished  prodigious  things,  and  that 
Mizpah  showed  incredible  endurance.  It 
was  as  if  she  saw  her  child  ever  a  little 
way  before  her,  and  hoped  to  come  up 
with  him  the  next  minute.  When  the 
stream  became  hopelessly  shallow,  we  got 
out  and  waded,  dragging  the  canoe.  The 
long  portage  to  the  head  of  the  Pictook 
waters  we  made  in  the  night,  the  trail 
being  a  clear  one,  and  not  overly  rough. 
At  the  further  end  of  the  carry,  when  I 
set  down  the  canoe  at  the  stream's  edge, 
J  ^ould  have  dropped  for  weariness,  yet 
from     Mizpah    I    heard    no     complaint ; 


I   Cool   My  Adversaries'   Courage     211 


and  her  silent  heroism  stirred  my  soul  to 
a  deepening  passion  of  worship.  Over 
and  over  I  told  myself  that  night  that  I 
would  never  rest  or  count  the  cost  till  I 
had  given  the  child  back  to  her  arms. 

Not  till  we  had  gone  perhaps  a  mile 
down  the  Pictook  did  I  order  a  halt, 
thrusting  the  canoe  into  a  secure  hid- 
ing-place. We  snatched  an  hour  of  sleep, 
lying  where  we  stepped  ashore.  Then,  ris- 
ing in  the  redness  of  daybreak,  we  hurried 
on,  eating  as  we  journeyed.  And  now, 
conceiving  that  it  was  necessary  to  keep 
up  her  strength,  Mizpah  ate  of  the  un- 
cooked bacon  ;  though  she  wore  a  face  of 
great  aversion  as  she  did  so. 

When,  after  hours  of  unmitigated  toil, 
we  reached  the  head  of  tide  and  the 
spacious  open  reaches  of  the  lower  river, 
I  insisted  on  an  hour  of  rest.  Mizpah 
vowed  that  she  was  not  exhausted,  —  but 
she  slept  instantly,  falUng  by  the  side  of 
the  canoe  as  she  stepped  out.  For  my- 
self I  durst  not  sleep,  but  I  rested,  and 
watched,  and  sucked  an  egg,  and  chewed 
strips  of  bacon.     When  we    pushed    off 


212         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

again  I  felt  that  we  must  have  put  a  good 
space  between  us  and  our  pursuers ;  and 
as  the  ebb  tide  was  helping  me  I  made 
Mizpah  go  on  sleeping,  in  her  place  in 
the  bow. 

"  I  will  need  your  help  more  by  and 
by,"  said  I  when  she  protested,  "  and 
then  you  must  have  all  your  strength  to 
give  me !  " 

The  river  soon  became  a  wide  estuary, 
with  arms  and  indentations,  —  a  harbour 
fit  to  hold  a  hundred  fleets.  Straight 
down  mid-channel  I  steered,  the  shortest 
course  to  the  mouth.  But  by  and  by 
there  sprang  up  a  light  head-wind,  delay- 
ing me. 

"  Wake  up,  comrade,"  I  cried.  "  I  need 
your  good  arm  now,  against  this  breeze  !  " 

She  had  slept  there  an  hour,  and  she 
woke  now  with  a  childlike  flush  in  her 
cheeks. 

"How  good  of  you  to  let  me  sleep  so," 
she  exclaimed,  turning  to  give  me  a  grate- 
ful glance.  But  the  expression  upon  her 
face  changed  instantly  to  one  of  fear,  and 
the  colour  all  went  out. 


I   Cool   My  Adversaries*   Courage     213 

"  Ohj  look  behind  us!"  she  gasped.  I 
had  not  indeed  waited  for  her  words. 
Glancing  over  my  shoulder,  I  caught 
sight  of  a  large  canoe,  with  four  savages 
paddling  furiously.  The  one  glimpse  was 
enough. 

"Now,  comrade,  work!"  said  I.  "But 
steady!  not  too  hard!  This  is  a  long 
chase,  remember ! "  and  I  bent  mightily 
to  the  paddle. 

Our  pursuers  were  a  good  half-mile 
behind ;  and  had  we  not  been  already 
wearied,  I  believe  we  could  have  held 
our  own  with  them  all  day.  Our  canoe 
was  light  and  swift,  Mizpah  paddled 
rarely,  and  for  myself,  I  have  never  yet 
been  beaten,  by  red  man  or  white,  in  a 
fair  canoe-race.  But  as  it  was,  I  felt  that 
we  must  win  by  stratagem,  if  the  saints 
should  so  favour  us  as  to  let  us  win  at  all. 
Half  a  mile  ahead,  on  our  right,  was  a 
high  point.  Behind  it,  as  I  knew,  was 
a  winding  estuary  of  several  branches, 
each  the  debouchement  of  a  small  stream. 
It  was  an  excellent  place  in  which  to  evade 
pursuers.     I  steered  for  the  high  point. 


214         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

As  we  darted  behind  its  shelter,  a  back- 
ward glance  told  me  that  our  enemies  had 
not  gained  upon  us.  The  moment  we 
were  hidden  from  their  view  I  put  across 
to  the  other  side  of  the  channel,  ran  the 
canoe  behind  a  jutting  boulder,  and  leapt 
out.  Not  till  we  were  concealed,  canoe 
and  all,  behind  a  safe  screen  of  rocks  and 
underbrush,  did  Mizpah  ask  my  pur- 
pose, though  she  plainly  marvelled  that 
I  should  hide  so  close  to  the  entrance. 

"  A  poor  and  something  public  hiding- 
place  is  often  the  most  secret,"  said  I. 
"The  Indians  know  that  up  this  water 
there  are  a  score  of  turns,  and  backwaters, 
and  brook-mouths,  wherein  we  might  long 
evade  them.  As  soon  as  they  saw  us  turn 
in  here,  they  doubtless  concluded  that  the 
water  was  well  known  to  me,  and  that  I 
would  hope  to  baffle  them  in  the  inner 
labyrinths  and  escape  up  one  of  the 
streams.  They  will  never  dream  of  us 
stopping  here." 

"  I  see ! "  she  exclaimed  eagerly. 
"When  they  have  passed  in  to  look  for 
us,  we  will  slip  out,  and   push  on,"     It 


I   Cool  My  Adversaries'  Courage     215 

«^i—^ ■  ■  —^  I  !■»■»■■  ml.  ■!■■■   .Ill     ■        ■—■..».  ,  ■■      I         1—^ 

was  haste  she  thought  of  rather  than 
escape.  No  moment  passed,  I  think, 
when  her  whole  will,  her  whole  being, 
were  not  focussed  upon  the  finding  of 
the  child.  And  the  more  I  realized  the 
intensity  of  her  love  and  her  pain,  the 
more  I  marvelled  at  the  heroic  self- 
control  which  forbade  her  to  waste  her 
strength  in  tears  and  wailings.  The 
conclusion  at  which  she  had  now  arrived, 
as  to  my  plan,  was  one  I  had  not  thought 
of,  and  I  considered  it  before    replying. 

"  No,"  said  I,  presently ;  "  that  is  not 
quite  my  purpose,  though  I  confess  it 
is  a  good  one.  But,  comrade,  this  is  a 
safe  ambush !  They  must  pass  within 
close  gunshot  of  us !  " 

"  Oh,"  she  cried,  paling,  and  clasping 
her  hands,  "  must  there  be  more  blood  ? 
But  yes,  they  bring  it  on  themselves," 
she  went  on  with  a  sudden  fierceness, 
flushing  again,  and  her  mouth  growing 
cruel.  "  They  would  keep  us  from  find- 
ing him.  Their  blood  be  on  their  own 
heads  ! " 

*'  I.  am  glad  you  think  of  that,"  said  I. 


21 6         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  They  would  have  no  mercy  for  us  if 
they  should  take  us  now.  But  indeed, 
if  it  will  please  you  to  have  it  so,  we 
need  not  shoot  them  down.  We  can 
treat  them  to  such  a  medicine  as  they 
had  before  of  me,  sink  their  canoe,  and 
leave  them  like  drowned  rats  on  the  other 
shore." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mizpah,  quietly  ;  "  if  that 
will  do  as  well,  it  will  please  me  much  bet- 
ter. 

And  so  it  was  agreed.  A  very  few 
minutes  later  the  canoe  appeared,  round- 
ing into  the  estuary.  The  savages  scanned 
both  shores  minutely,  but  rather  from  the 
habit  of  caution  than  from  any  thought 
that  we  might  have  gone  to  land.  If, 
however,  I  had  not  taken  care  to  make 
my  landing  behind  a  boulder,  those  keen 
eyes  would  have  marked  some  splashed 
spots  on  the  shingle,  and  we  would  havx 
been  discovered. 

^ut  no  such  evil  fortune  came  abo-itv 
The  four  paddles  flashed  onward  .sv»iiftly. 
The  four  fierce,  painted  and  feathered 
heads  thrust  forward  angrily,  expecting  to 


I   Cool  My  Adversaries'   Courage     217 


overtake  us  in  one  of  the  inner  reaches. 
I  took  up  Mizpah's  musket  (which  was 
loaded  with  slugs,  while  my  own  carried 
a  bullet,  in  case  I  should  be  called  upon 
for  a  long  and  dehcate  shot),  and  waited 
until  the  canoe  was  just  a  little  more 
than  ?breast  of  us.  Then,  aiming  at 
the  waterline,  just  in  front  of  the  bow 
paddle,  I  fired. 

The  effect  was  instant  and  complete. 
The  savage  in  the  bow  threw  up  his 
paddle  with  a  scream  and  sprang  over- 
board. He  was  doubtless  wounded,  and 
feared  a  second  shot.  We  saw  him  swim- 
ming lustily  toward  the  opposite  shore. 
The  others  paddled  desperately  in  the 
same  direction,  but  before  they  had  gone 
\ialf-way  the  canoe  was  so  deep  in  the 
water  that  she  moved  like  a  log.  Then 
they,  too,  seized  with  the  fear  of  a  second 
Tshot,  sprang  overboard.  By  this  time  I 
had  the  musket  reloaded. 

"  If  they  get  the  canoe  ashore,  with 
their  weapons  aboard  her,"  said  I,  "  they 
will  soon  get  her  patched  up,  and  we  will 
have  it  all  to  do  over  agair.      Here  goes 


21 8         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

for  another  try,  whatever  heads  may  be 
in  the  way  !  " 

Mizpah  averted  her  face,  but  made 
no  protest,  and  I  fired  at  the  stern  of  the 
canoe,  which  was  directly  toward  me.  A 
swimmer's  head,  close  by,  went  down ;  and 
in  a  minute  more  the  canoe  did  likewise. 
Three  feathered  heads  remained  in  sight ; 
and  presently  three  dark  figures  dragged 
themselves  ashore  —  one  of  them  limping 
badly  —  and  plunged  into  the  woods. 

"  Without  canoe  or  guns,"  said  I, 
"  they  are  fairly  harmless  for  a  while." 
But  Mizpah,  as  we  re-embarked  and 
headed  again  for  the  sea,  said  nothing. 
I  think  that  in  her  bosom,  at  this  time, 
womanly  compassion  was  striving,  and  at 
some  disadvantage,  with  the  vindictive- 
ness  of  outraged  motherhood.  I  think 
—  and  I  loved  her  the  better  for  it  — 
she  was  glad  I  had  killed  one  more  of 
her  child's  enemies ;  but  I  think,  too, 
she  was  filled  with  shame  at  her  gladness. 


Chapter  XVII 
A  Night  in  the  Deep 

ONCE  fairly  out  again  into  the  har- 
bour, I  saw  two  things  that  were 
but  little  to  my  satisfaction.  Far  away  up 
the  river  were  three  more  canoes.  I  un- 
derstood at  once  that  the  savages  whom 
we  had  just  worsted  were  the  mere  van- 
guard of  the  Black  Abbe's  attack.  The 
new-comers,  however,  were  so  far  behind 
that  I  had  excellent  hopes  of  eluding 
them.  The  second  matter  that  gave  me 
concern  was  the  strong  head-wind  that 
had  suddenly  arisen.  The  look  of  the 
sky  seemed  to  promise,  moreover,  that 
what  was  now  a  mere  blow  might  soon 
become  a  gale.  It  was  already  kicking 
up  a  sea  that  hindered  us.  Most  women 
would  have  been  terrified  at  it,  but  Miz- 
pah  seemed   to  have  no  thought  of  fear. 

219 


220         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

We  pressed  on  doggedly.  There  was 
danger  ahead,  I  knew,  —  a  very  serious 
danger,  which  would  tax  all  my  skill  to 
overcome.  But  the  danger  behind  us  was 
the  more  menacing.  I  felt  that  there  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  face  the  storm  and 
force  a  passage  around  the  cape.  This 
accomplished,  —  if  we  could  accomplish 
it,  —  I  knew  our  pursuers  would  not  dare 
to  follow. 

About  sundown,  though  the  enemy  had 
drawn  perceptibly  nearer,  I  concluded  that 
we  must  rest  and  gather  our  strength.  I 
therefore  ran  in  behind  a  Httle  headland, 
the  last  shelter  we  could  hope  for  until  we 
should  get  around  the  cape.  There  we 
ate  a  hearty  meal,  drank  from  a  tiny 
spring,  and  lay  stretched  flat  on  the  shore 
for  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Then,  after 
an  apprehensive  look  at  the  angry  sea, 
and  a  prayer  that  was  earnest  enough  to 
make  up  for  some  scantness  in  length,  I 
cried :  — 

"  Come  now,  comrade,  and  be  brave." 
"  I  am  not  afraid.  Monsieur,"  she  an- 
swered quietly.     "  If  anything  happens,  I 


A  Night  in  the  Deep  ^21 

know  it  will  not  be  because  you  have 
failed  in  anything  that  the  bravest  and 
truest  of  men  could  hope  to  do.'* 

"I  think  that  God  will  help  us/*  said  I. 
That  some  one  greater  than  ourselves 
does  sometimes  help  us  in  such  perils,  I 
know,  whatever  certain  hasty  men  who 
speak  out  of  a  plentiful  lack  of  experience 
may  declare  to  the  contrary.  But  whether 
this  help  be  a  direct  intervention  of  God 
himself,  or  the  succour  of  the  blessed  saints, 
or  the  watchful  care  of  one's  guardian 
spirit,  I  have  never  been  able  to  conclude 
to  my  own  satisfaction.  And  very  much 
thought  have  I  given  to  the  matter  by 
times,  lying  out  much  under  the  stars 
night  after  night,  and  carrying  day  by  day 
my  life  in  my  hands.  However  it  might 
be,  I  felt  sustained  and  comforted  as  we  put 
out  that  night.  The  storm  was  now  so 
wild  that  it  would  have  been  perilous  to 
face  in  broad  daylight  and  with  a  strong 
man  at  the  bow  paddle.  Yet  I  believed 
that  we  should  win  through.  I  felt 
that  my  strength,  my  skill,  my  sureness 
of  judgment,   were    of   a    sudden    made 


222         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

greater  than    I   could   commonly  account 
them. 

But  whatever  strength  may  have  been 
graciously  vouchsafed  to  me  that  night, 
I  found  that  I  needed  it  all.  The  night 
fell  not  darkly,  but  with  a  clear  sky,  and 
the  light  of  stars,  and  a  diffused  glimmer 
from  the  white  crests  of  the  waves.  The 
gale  blew  right  on  shore,  and  the  huge 
roar  of  the  surf  thundering  in  our  ears 
seemed  presently  to  blunt  our  sense  of 
peril.  The  great  waves  now  hung  above 
us,  white-crested  and  hissing,  till  one 
would  have  said  we  were  in  the  very  pit  of 
doom.  A  moment  more,  and  the  light 
craft  would  seem  to  soar  upward  as  the 
wave  slipped  under  it,  a  wrenching  turn  of 
my  wrist  would  drive  her  on  a  slant 
through  the  curling  top  of  foam,  and  then 
we  would  slide  swiftly  into  the  pit  again, 
down  a  steep  slope  of  purplish  blackness 
all  alive  with  fleeting  eyes  of  white  light. 
The  strain  upon  my  wrist,  the  mighty 
effort  required  at  each  wave  lest  we  should 
broach  to  and  be  rolled  over,  were  some- 
thing that  I  had  never  dreamed  to  endure. 


A  Night  in  the  Deep  223 

Yet  I  did  endure  it.  And  as  for  the  brave 
woman  in  the  bow,  she  simply  paddled  on, 
steadily,  strongly,  without  violence,  so  that 
I  learned  to  depend  on  her  for  just  so  much 
force  at  each  swift  following  crisis.  For 
there  was  a  new  crisis  every  moment, — 
with  a  moment's  grace  as  we  slipped  into 
each  succeeding  pit.  At  last  we  found 
ourselves  off  the  cape,  —  and  then  well 
out  into  the  open  Strait,  yet  not  engulfed. 
A  little,  — just  as  much  as  I  durst,  and 
that  was  very  little,  —  I  shifted  our  course 
toward  south.  This  brought  a  yet  heavier 
strain  upon  my  wrist,  but  there  was  no 
help  for  it  if  we  would  hope  to  get  beyond 
the  cape.  How  long  we  were  I  know 
not.  I  lost  the  sense  of  time.  I  had  no 
faculty  left  save  those  that  were  in  service 
now  to  battle  back  destruction.  But  at 
last  I  came  to  realize  that  we  were  well 
clear  of  the  cape,  that  the  sound  of  the 
breakers  had  dwindled,  and  that  the  time 
had  come  to  turn.  To  turn  ?  Ay,  but 
could  it  be  done  ^ 

It  could  but  be  tried.      To  go  on  thus 
much    longer    was,    I    knew,    impossible. 


224         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

My  strength  would  certainly  fail  by 
and  by. 

"  Comrade,"  said  I,  —  and  my  voice 
sounded  strange,  as  if  long  unused, — 
"  keep  paddling  steadily  as  you  are,  but 
the  moment  I  say  '  change,'  paddle  bard 
on  the  other  side.'* 

"  Yes,  Monsieur ! "  she  answered  as 
quietly  as  if  we  had  been  walking  in  a 
garden. 

I  watched  the  approach  of  one  of  those 
great  waves  which  would,  as  I  knew,  have 
as  vast  a  fellow  to  follow  upon  it.  As 
soon  as  we  were  well  over  the  crest  I  began 
to  turn. 

"Change!"  I  shouted.  And  Mizpah's 
paddle  flashed  to  the  other  side.  Down 
we  slanted  into  the  pit.  We  lay  at  the 
bottom  for  a  second,  broadside  on,  —  then 
we  got  the  little  craft  fairly  about  as  she 
rose.  A  second  more,  and  the  wind  caught 
us,  and  completed  the  turn,  —  and  the 
next  crest  was  fairly  at  my  back.  I  drew 
a  huge  breath,  praising  God  and  St* 
Joseph ;  and  we  ran  in  toward  the  hollow 
of  the  land  before  us.      That  part  of  the 


A  Night  in  the  Deep  225 

coast  was  strange  to  me,  save  as  seen 
when  passing  by  ship  ;  but  I  trusted 
there  would  be  some  estuary  or  some 
winding,  within  which  we  might  safely 
come  to  land. 

The  strain  was  now  different,  and  there- 
fore my  nerves  and  muscles  felt  a  tem- 
porary relief;  but  it  was  still  tremendous. 
There  was  still  the  imminent  danger  of 
broaching  to  as  each  wave-crest  seized  and 
twisted  the  frail  craft.  But  having  the 
wind  behind  me,  I  had  of  course  more 
steerage  way  •,  and  therefore  a  more  instant 
and  effective  control.  We  ran  on  straight 
before  the  wind,  but  a  few  points  off;  and 
with  desperate  anxiety  I  peered  ahead  for 
some  hint  of  shelter  on  that  wild  lee 
shore.  Mizpah,  of  course,  knew  the 
unspeakable  strain  of  wielding  the  stern 
paddle  in  such  a  sea. 

"  Are  you  made  of  steel,  Monsieur  ? " 
she  presently  asked.  "  I  can  hardly  be- 
lieve it  possible  that  the  strength  of  human 
sinews  should  endure  so  long." 

"  Mine,  alas,  will  not  endure  much 
longer,  comrade,"  said  I. 


226         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  And  what  then  ? "  she  asked,  in  a 
steady  voice. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  said  I ;  "  but  there  is 
hope.  I  think  we  have  not  been  brought 
through  all  this  for  nothing." 

The  roar  of  the  breakers  grew  louder 
and  louder  again,  as  we  gradually  neared 
the  high  coast  which  seemed  to  slip  swiftly 
past  on  our  right  hand.  It  was  black  and 
appalling,  serried  along  the  crest  with  tops 
of  fir  trees,  white  along  the  base  with  the 
great  gnashing  of  the  breakers.  As  we 
ran  into  the  head  of  the  bay,  with  yet  no 
sign  of  a  shelter,  the  seas  got  more  peril- 
ous, being  crowded  together  and  broken 
so  that  I  could  not  calculate  upon  them. 
Soon  they  became  a  mad  smother ;  and  I 
knew  my  strength  for  this  bout  had  but 
little  longer  to  last. 

"  The  end ! "  said  I ;  "  but  we  may  win 
through !  I  will  catch  you  when  the  crash 
comes."  And  some  blind  prayer,  I  know 
not  what,  kept  repeating  and  repeating  in 
the  inward  silence  of  my  soul.  New 
strength  seemed  then  to  flow  upon  nerve 
and  sinew,  —  and  I  descried,  almost  ahead 


A  Night  in  the  Deep  227 

of  us,  a  space  of  smooth  and  sloping  beach 
up  which  the  seas  rushed  without  rock  to 
shatter  them. 

"  This  is  our  chance,"  I  shouted.  A 
wave  came,  smoother  and  more  whole 
than  most,  and  paddhng  desperately  I 
kept  awhile  upon  the  crest  of  it.  Then 
like  a  flash  it  curled  thinly,  rolled  the 
canoe  over,  and  hurled  us  far  up  on  the 
beach.  Half  blinded,  half  stunned,  and 
altogether  choking,  I  yet  kept  my  wits  ; 
and  catching  Mizpah  by  the  arm,  I 
dragged  her  violently  forward  beyond 
reach  of  the  next  wave.  Dropping  her 
without  a  word,  I  turned  back,  and  was 
just  in  time  to  catch  the  rolling  canoe. 
It,  too,  I  succeeded  in  dragging  to  a  place 
of  safety ;  but  it  was  so  shattered  and 
crushed  as  to  be  useless.  The  muskets, 
however,  were  in  it ;  for  I  had  taken  care 
to  lash  them  under  the  bars  before  leav- 
ing the  shelter  of  the  inlet. 

The  remnants  of  the  canoe  I  hauled  far 
up  on  the  beach,  and  then  I  returned  to 
Mizpah,  who  lay  in  utter  exhaustion  just 
where  I  had  dropped  her,  so  close  to  the 


228         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

water's  edge  that  she  was  splashed  by  the 
spray  of  every  wave. 

"  Come,  comrade/'  I  said,  lifting  her 
gently.  "  The  saints  have  indeed  been 
kind  to  us."  But  she  made  no  reply. 
Leaning  heavily  upon  me,  and  moving  as 
if  in  a  dream,  she  let  me  lead  her  to  the 
edge  of  the  wood,  where  the  herbage  be- 
gan behind  a  sort  of  windrow  of  rocks. 
There,  seeing  that  the  rocks  shut  off  the 
wind,  I  released  her,  and  dropping  on  the 
spot,  she  went  at  once  to  sleep.  Then  I 
felt  myself  suddenly  as  weak  as  a  baby. 
I  had  no  more  care  for  anything  save  to 
sleep.  I  tried  to  pluck  a  bunch  of  herbage 
to  put  under  Mizpah's  head  for  a  pillow; 
but  even  as  I  stooped  to  gather  it,  I  for- 
got where  I  was,  and  the  tide  of  dreams 
flowed  over  me. 


Chapter  XVIII 
The  Osprey,  of  Plymouth 

IT  must  have  been  a  good  two  hours 
that  I  slept.     I  woke  with  a  start,  with 
a  sense  of  some  duty  left  undone.     I  was 
in  an  awkward  position,  half  on  my  side 
amid    stones    and    underbrush,   my    arms 
clasping  the  bundle  of  herbage  which   I 
had    meant    for    Mizpah's    pillow.      The 
daylight  was  fairly  established,  blue   and 
cold,  though  the  sun  was  not  yet  visible. 
The    gale    hummed    shrilly   as    ever,   the 
huge  waves  thundered  on  the  trembling 
beach,  and  all  seaward  was  such  a  white  and 
purple  hell  of  raving  waters  that  I  shud- 
dered at    the    sight    of   it.      Mizpah  was 
still  sleeping.     As  I  looked  at  her  the  de- 
sire for  sleep  came  over    me    again  with 
deadly  strength,  but  I  resisted  it,  rushing 
down  to  the  edge  of  the  surf,  and  facing  a 

229 


230         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

chill  buffet  of  driven  spume.  I  took  an- 
other glance  at  the  canoe.  It  was  past 
mending.  The  two  muskets  were  there, 
but  everything  else  was  gone,  washed  away, 
or  ground  upon  the  rocks.  After  much 
searching,  however,  to  my  delight  I  found 
a  battered  roll  of  bacon  wedged  into  a 
cleft.  Pouncing  upon  this,  I  bore  it  in 
triumph  to  Mizpah. 

"  Wake  up,  comrade,"  I  cried,  shak- 
ing her  softly.  "  We  must  be  getting 
away." 

The  poor  girl  roused  herself  with  diffi- 
culty, and  sat  up.  When  she  tried  to 
stand,  she  toppled  over,  and  would  have 
fallen  if  I  had  not  caught  her  by  the 
arms.  It  was  some  minutes  before  she 
could  control  the  stiffness  of  her  limbs. 
At  last  the  whipping  of  the  wind  some- 
what revived  her,  and  sitting  down  upon 
a  rock  she  looked  about  with  a  face  of 
hopeless  misery. 

"Eat  a  little,"  said  I,  gently,  "for  we 
must  get  away  from  here  at  once,  lest 
our  enemies  come  over  the  hills  to  look 
for  us." 


The  Osprey,  of  Plymouth       231 


But  she  pushed  aside  the  untempting, 
sodden  food  which  I   held  out  to  her. 

"Whither  shall  we  go?''  she  asked 
heavily.  "  The  canoe  is  wrecked.  How 
can    we    find    my    boy?      Oh,  I    wish    I 

could  die ! " 

Poor  girl !  my  heart  ached  for  her.  I 
knew  how  her  utter  and  terrible  exhaus- 
tion had  at  last  sapped  that  marvellous 
courage  of  hers ;  but  I  felt  that  roughness 
would  be  her  best  tonic,  though  it  was  far 
indeed  from  my  heart  to  speak  to  her 
roughly. 

"  Shame  !  "  said  I,  in  a  voice  of  stern 
rebuke.  "Have  you  struggled  and  en- 
dured so  long,  to  give  up  now?  Will 
you  leave  Philip  to  the  savages  because 
a  canoe  is  broken?  Where  is  your 
boasted  courage?  Why,  we  will  walk, 
instead  of  paddling.     Come  at  once." 

Even  this  rebuke  but  half  aroused  her. 
"I'm  so  thirsty,"  she  said,  looking  around 
with  heavy  eyes.  By  good  Providence, 
there  was  a  slender  stream  trickling  in  at 
this  point,  and  I  led  her  to  it.  While 
she  drank  and  bathed  her  face,  I  grubbed 


232         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

in  the  long  grasses  growing  beside  the 
stream,  and  found  a  handful  of  those 
tuberous  roots  which  the  Indians  call 
ground-nuts.  These  I  made  her  eat, 
after  which  she  was  able  to  endure  a  little 
of  the  salt  bacon.  Presently,  she  became 
more  like  herself,  and  began  to  grieve  at 
the  weakness  which  she  had  just  shown. 
Her  humiliation  was  so  deep  that  I  had 
much  ado  to  comfort  her,  telling  her  again 
and  again  that  she  was  not  responsible 
for  what  she  had  said  when  she  was  yet 
but  half  awake,  and  in  the  bonds  of  a 
weariness  which  would  have  killed  most 
women.  I  told  her,  which  was  nothing 
less  than  true,  that  I  held  her  for  the 
bravest  of  women,  and  that  no  man  could 
have  supported  me  better  than  she  had 
done. 

We  pushed  our  way  straight  over  the 
height  of  land  which  runs  seaward  and 
ends  in  Cape  Merigomish.  Our  way  lay 
through  a  steep  but  pleasant  woodland, 
and  by  the  time  the  sun  was  an  hour  high 
we  had  walked  off  much  of  our  fatigue. 
The  tree  tops   rocked  and   creaked  high 


The  Osprey,  of  Plymouth        233 


above  us,  but  where  we  walked  the  wind 
troubled  us  not. 

"  Where  are  we  going  ?  "  asked  Miz- 
pah,  by  and  by  —  somewhat  tremulously 
for  she  still  had  in  mind  my  censure. 

"Why,  comrade,"  said  I,  in  a  cheerful, 
careless  manner  of  speech,  a  thousand 
miles  away  from  the  devotion  in  my 
heart,  —  "  my  purpose  is  to  push  straight 
along  the  coast  to  Canseau.  There  we  will 
find  a  few  of  your  country-folk,  fishermen 
mostly,  and  from  them  we  will  get  a  boat 
to  carry  us  up  the  Bras  d'Or." 

"  But  what  will  become  of  Philip,  all  this 
time  ?  "  she  questioned,  with  haggard  eyes. 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,"  I  answered, 
"  I  don't  think  we  will  lose  much  time, 
after  all.  If  we  still  had  the  canoe,  we 
would  be  storm-bound  in  the  bay  back 
there  till  the  wind  changes  or  subsides 
—  and  it  may  be  days  before  it  does 
the  one  or  the  other.  As  it  is,  the  worst 
that  has  befallen  us  is  the  loss  of  our 
ammunition  and  our  bread.  But  we  will 
make  shift  to  live,  belike,  till  we  reach 
Canseau." 


234         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  Oh,  Monsieur,"  she  cried,  in  answer, 
with  a  great  emotion  in  her  voice,  "  you 
give  me  hope  when  my  despair  is  black- 
est. You  seem  to  me  more  generous, 
more  brave,  more  strong,  than  I  had 
dreamed  the  greatest  could  be.  What 
makes  you  so  good  to  an  unhappy 
mother,  so  faithfully  devoted  to  a  poor 
baby  whom  you  have  never  seen  ^  " 

"  Tut,  tut !  "  said  I,  roughly  ;  "  I  but 
do  as  any  proper  minded  man  would  do 
that  had  the  right  skill  and  the  fitting 
opportunity.  Thank  Marc  ! "  But  I 
might  have  told  her  more  if  I  had  let 
my  heart  speak  truth. 

"  I  know  whom  to  thank,  and  all  my 
life  long  will  I  pray  Heaven  to  bless  that 
one  !  "  said  Mizpah. 

Thus  talking  by  the  way,  but  most  of 
the  way  silent,  we  came  at  length  over 
Merigomish  and  down  to  the  sea  again, 
fetching  the  shore  at  the  head  of  a  second 
bay.  This  was  all  in  a  smother  and  a 
roar,  like  that  we  had  just  left  behind. 
As  we  rounded  the  head  of  it,  we  came 
upon   a  little   sheltered  creek,  and  there, 


The  Osprey,  of  Plymouth       235 

lafe  out  of  the  gale,  lay  a  small  New  Eng- 
land fishing  schooner.  I  knew  her  by  the 
build  for  a  New  Englander,  before  I  saw 
the  words  Osprey,  Plymouth,  painted  in 
red  letters  on  her  stern. 

"  Here  is  fortune  indeed ! "  said  I, 
while  a  cry  of  gladness  sprang  to  Miz- 
pah's  lips.  "  ril  charter  the  craft  to  take 
us  up  the  Bras  d'Or." 

The  little  ship  lay  in  a  very  pleasant 
idleness.  The  small  haven  was  full  of 
sun,  the  green,  wooded  hills  sloping  softly 
down  about  it  and  shutting  off  all  winds. 
The  water  heaved  and  rocked ;  but 
smoothly,  stirred  by  the  yeasty  tumult 
that  roared  past  the  narrow  entrance. 
The  clamour  of  the  surf  outside  made  the 
calm  within  the  more  excellent. 

Several  gray  figures  of  the  crew  lay 
sprawling  about  the  deck,  which  we  could 
see  very  well,  by  reason  of  the  steepness 
of  the  shore  on  which  we  stood.  In  the 
waist  was  a  gaunt,  brown-faced  man,  with 
a  scant,  reddish  beard,  a  nose  astonishingly 
!ong  and  sharp,  and  a  blue  woollen  cap  on 
i;he  back  of  his  head.     He  stood  leaning 


236         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

upon  the  rail  watching  us,  and  spitting 
contemplatively  into  the  water  from  time 
to  time. 

We  climbed  down  to  the  beach  beside 
the  schooner,  and  I  spoke  to  the  man  in 
English. 

"  Are  you  the  captain  .^  "  I  asked 
civilly. 

"  They  do  say  I  be,"  he  answered  in  a 
thin,  high,  sing-song  of  a  voice.  "  Captain 
Ezra  Bean,  Schooner  Osprey,  of  Plymouth, 
at  your  sarvice."  And  he  waved  his  hand 
with  a  spacious  air. 

I  bowed  with  ceremony.  "  And  I  am 
your  very  humble  servant,"  said  I,  "  the 
Sieur  de  Briart,  of  Canard  by  Grand  Pre. 
We  were  on  our  way  to  Canseau,  but  have 
lost  our  canoe  and  stores  in  the  gale.  We 
are  bold  to  hope.  Captain,  that  you  will 
sell  us  some  bread,  as  also  some  powder 
and  bullets.  We  did  not  lose  our  little 
money.  Heaven  be  praised  !  " 

Knowing  these  New  Englanders  to  be 
greedy  of  gain,  but  highly  honest,  I  made 
no  scruple  of  admitting  that  we  had  money 
about  us. 


The  Osprey,  of  Plymouth       237 

"  Come  right  aboard,  good  sirs  !  "  said 
the  captain  ;  and  in  half  a  minute  the  gig, 
which  floated  at  the  stern,  was  thrust 
around  to  us,  and  we  clambered  to  the 
deck  of  the  Osprey ^  where  crew  and  cap- 
tain, five  in  all,  gathered  about  us  without 
ceremony.  The  captain,  I  could  see  at 
once,  was  just  one  of  themselves,  obeyed 
when  he  gave  orders,  but  standing  in  no 
sort  of  formal  aloofness.  Cold  salt  beef, 
and  biscuit  and  cheese,  and  tea,  were  soon 
set  before  us,  and  as  we  made  a  hasty 
meal  they  all  hung  about  us  and  talked, 
as  if  we  had  been  in  one  of  their  home 
kitchens  on  Massachusetts  Bay.  As  for 
Mizpah,  who  felt  little  at  ease  in  playing 
her  man's  part,  she  spoke  only  in  French, 
and  made  as  if  she  knew  no  word  of  Eng- 
lish. Captain  Ezra  Bean  had  some  French, 
but  no  facility  in  it,  and  a  pronunciation 
that  was  beyond  measure  execrable. 

But  at  last,  being  convinced  that  they 
were  honest  fellows,  I  spoke  of  chartering 
the  Osprey^  and  in  explanation  told  the 
main  part  of  our  story,  representing  Miz- 
pah as  a  youth  of  Canard.     But,  alas,  I 


238         The  Forge  In  the  Forest 

had  not  read  my  men  aright.  Honest 
they  were,  and  exceeding  eager  to  turn 
an  honest  penny,  —  but  they  had  not  the 
stomach  for  fighting.  When  they  found 
that  a  war  party  of  Micmacs  was  in  chase 
of  us,  they  fell  into  a  great  consternation, 
and  insisted  on  our  instant  departure. 

At  this  I  was  all  taken  aback,  for  I  had 
ever  found  the  men  of  New  England  as 
diligent  in  war  as  in  trade.  But  these 
fellows  were  in  a  shaking  terror  for  their 
lives  and  for  their  ship. 

"  Why,  gentlemen,"  I  said,  in  a  heat, 
"  here  are  seven  of  us,  well  armed  !  We 
will  make  short  work  of  the  red  rascals,  if 
they  are  so  foolhardy  as  to  attack  us." 

But  no  !     They  would  hear  none  of  it. 

"  It*s  no  quarrel  of  mine ! "  cried  Captain 
Ezra  Bean,  in  his  high  sing-song,  but  in  a 
great  hurry.  "  My  dooty's  to  my  ship. 
There's  been  many  of  our  craft  fell  afoul 
of  these  here  savages,  and  come  to  grief. 
We're  fast  right  here  till  the  wind  changes, 
and  we'll  just  speak  the  redskins  fair  if 
they  come  nigh  us,  an'  there  ain't  goin'  to 
be   no    trouble.     But  you  must  go  your 


The  Osprey,  of  Plymouth       239 

ways,  gentlemen,  begging  your  pardon ; 
and  no  ill  will,  I  hope  !  "  And  the  boat 
being  hauled  around  for  us,  they  all  made 
haste  to  bid  us  farewell. 

Mizpah,  with  a  flushed  face,  stepped  in 
at  once  ;  but  I  hung  back  a  little,  sick  with 
their  cowardly  folly. 

"At  least,"  said  I,  angrily,  "you  must 
sell  me  a  sack  of  bread,  and  some  powder 
and  ball.  Till  I  get  them  I  swear  I  will 
not  go." 

"  Sartinly  !  "  sing-songed  the  captain  ; 
and  in  a  twinkling  the  suppHes  were  in 
the  boat.  "  Now  go,  and  God  speed 
ye  ! 

I  slipped  a  piece  of  gold  into  his  hand, 
and  was  off.  But  frightened  as  he  was, 
he  was  honest,  and  in  half  a  minute  he 
called  me  back. 

"  Here  is  your  silver,"  came  the  queer, 
high  voice  over  the  rail.  "You  have 
overpaid  me  three  times,"  and  I  saw  his 
long  arm  reaching  out  to  me. 

"  Keep  it,"  I  snapped.  "We  are  in  more 
haste  to  be  gone  than  you  to  get  rid  of 
us. 


240         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

In  fivt  minutes  more  the  woods  en- 
folded us,  and  the  Httle  Osprey  was  hid 
from  our  view.  I  walked  violently  in 
my  wrathful  disappointment,  till  at  last 
Mizpah  checked  me.  "  If  the  good  sol- 
dier," said  she,  "  might  advise  his  captain, 
which  would  be,  of  course,  intolerable,  I 
would  dare  to  remind  you  of  what  you 
have  said  to  me  more  than  once  lately. 
Is  not  this  pace  too  hot  to  last.  Mon- 
sieur ?  "  And  stopping,  she  leaned  heav- 
ily on  her  musket. 

"  Forgive  me/'  I  exclaimed,  flinging 
mvself  down  on  the  moss.  "  And  what 
a  fool  I  am  to  be  angry,  too,  just  because 
those  poor  bumpkins  wouldn't  take  up 
our  quarrel." 

The  look  of  gratitude  which  Mizpah 
gave  me  for  that  little  phrase,  "  our  quar- 
rel," made  xny  heart  on  a  sudden  strong 
and  light.  Presently  we  resumed  our 
journey,  going  moderately,  and  keeping 
enough  inland  to  avoid  the  windings  of 
the  coast.  The  little  Osprey  we  never  saw 
again;  but  months  later,  when  it  came  to 
my  ears  that  a  fishing  vessel  of  Plymouth 


The  Osprey,  of  Plymouth       241 

had  been  taken  by  the  Indians  that  au- 
tumn while  storm-stayed  at  Merigomish, 
and  her  crew  all  slain,  I  felt  a  qualm  of 
pity  for  the  poor  lads  whose  selfish  fears 
had  so  misguided  them. 


Chapter  XTX 
The  Camp  by  Canseau  Strait 

IT  was  perhaps  to  their  encounter  with 
the  Osprey  we  owed  it  that  we  saw  no 
more  of  our  pursuers.  At  any  rate  we 
were  no  further  persecuted.  After  two 
days  of  marching  we  felt  safe  to  Hght  fires. 

We  shot  partridges,  and  a  deer ;  and 
the  fresh  meat  put  new  vigour  into  our 
veins.  We  came  to  the  beginning  of  the 
narrow  strait  which  severs  lie  Royale  from 
the  main  peninsula  of  Acadie ;  and  with 
longing  eyes  Mizpah  gazed  across,  as  if 
hoping  to  discern  the  child  amid  the  trees 
of  the  opposite  shore.  At  last,  I  could 
but  sav  to  her  :  — 

"  We  are  a  long,  long  way  from  Philip 
yet,  my  comrade ;  were  we  across  this 
narrow  strait,  we  would  be  no  nearer  to 
him,  for  the  island  is  so  cut  up  with  inland 

242 


The  Camp  by  Canseau  Strait     243 

waters,  many,  deep,  and  winding,  that  it 
would  take  us  months  to  traverse  its  length 
afoot.  We  must  push  on  to  Canseau,  for 
a  boat  is  needful  to  us." 

And  all  these  days,  in  the  quiet  of  the 
great  woods,  in  the  stillness  of  the  wilder- 
ness nights  when  often  I  watched  her 
sleeping,  in  the  hours  while  she  walked 
patiently  by  my  side,  her  brave,  sweet  face 
wan  with  grief  suppressed,  her  eyes  heavy 
with  longing,  my  love  grew.  It  took 
possession  of  my  whole  being  till  this 
doubtful,  perilous  journey  seemed  all  that 
I  could  desire,  and  the  world  we  had  left 
behind  us  became  but  a  blur  with  only 
Marc's  white  face  in  the  midst  to  give  it 
consequence.  Nevertheless,  though  my 
eyes  and  my  spirit  waited  upon  all  her 
movements,  I  suffered  no  least  suggestion 
of  my  worship  to  appear,  but  ever  with 
rough  kindliness  played  the  part  of  com- 
panion-at-arms. 

One  morning,  —  it  was  our  fifth  day 
from  the  Osprey,  but  since  reaching  the 
Strait  we  had  become  involved  in  swamps, 
and  made  a  very  pitifully  small  advance, 


244         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

—  one  morning,  I  say,  when  it  wanted  per- 
haps an  hour  of  noon,  we  were  both  startled 
by  a  sound  of  groaning.  Mizpah  came 
closer  to  me,  and  put  her  hand  upon  my 
arm.     We  stood  listening  intently. 

"  It  is  some  one  hurt,"  said  I,  in  a  mo- 
ment, "  and  he  is  in  that  gully  yonder." 

Cautiously,  lest  there  should  be  some 
trap,  we  followed  the  sound ;  and  we  dis- 
covered, at  the  bottom  of  a  narrow  cleft, 
an  Indian  lad  lying  wedged  between  sharp 
rocks,  with  the  carcass  of  a  fat  buck  fallen 
across  his  body.  It  was  plain  to  me  at 
once  that  the  young  savage  had  slipped 
while  staggering  under  his  load  of  venison. 

I  hesitated ;  for  what  more  likely  than 
that  there  should  be  other  Indians  in 
the  neighbourhood  ;  but  Mizpah  cried  at 
once  :  — 

"  Oh,  we  must  help  him  !  Quick !  Come, 
Monsieur ! " 

And  in  truth  the  lad's  face  appealed 
to  me,  for  he  was  but  a  stripling,  little 
younger  than  Marc.  Very  gently  we  re- 
leased him  from  his  agonizing  position ; 
and  when  we   had  laid  him  on  a    patch 


The  Camp  by  Canseau  Strait      245 

of  smooth  moss,  his  groaning  ceased.  His 
lips  were  parched,  and  when  I  brought 
him  water  he  swallowed  it  desperately. 
Then  Mizpah  bathed  his  face.  Pres- 
ently his  eyes  opened,  rested  upon  her 
with  a  look  of  unutterable  gratitude,  and 
closed  again.  Mizpah's  own  eyes  were 
brimming  with  tears,  and  she  turned  to 
me  in  a  sort  of  appeal,  as  if  she  would 
say :  — 

"  How  can  we  leave  him?  " 

"  Let  him  be  for  a  half  hour  now," 
said  I,  answering  her  look.  "  Then  per- 
haps he  will  be  able  to  talk  to  us." 

We  ate  our  meal  without  daring  to 
light  a  fire.  Then  we  sat  in  silence  by 
the  sleeping  lad,  till  at  last  he  opened 
his  eyes,  and  murmured  in  the  Micmac 
tongue,  "water."  When  he  had  taken 
a  drink,  I  offered  him  biscuit,  of  which 
he  ate  a  morsel.  Then,  speaking  in 
French,  I  asked  him  whence  he  came ; 
and  how  he  came  to  be  in  such  a  plight. 

He  answered  faintly  in  the  same  tongue. 
"  I  go  from  Malpic,"  said  he,  "  to  the  Shu- 
benacadie,  with  messages.     I  shot  a  buck, 


246         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

on  the  rock  there,  and  he  fell  into  the 
gully.  As  I  was  getting  him  out  I  fell 
in  myself,  and  the  carcass  on  top  of  me. 
I  know  no  more  till  I  open  my  eyes,  and 
my  mouth  is  hard,  and  kind  friends  are 
giving  me  water.  Then  I  sleep  again,  for 
I  feel  all  safe,'*  and  with  a  grateful  smile 
his  eyes  closed  wearily.  He  was  fast 
asleep  again,  before  I  could  ask  any  more 
questions. 

"  Come  away,"  I  whispered  to  Mizpah, 
"  till  we  talk  about  this."  She  came,  but 
first,  with  a  tender  thoughtfulness,  she 
leaned  her  musket  against  a  tree,  with  his 
own  beside  it,  so  that  if  he  should  wake 
while  we  were  gone  he  should  at  once  see 
the  two  weapons,  and  know  that  he  was 
not  deserted. 

When  we  were  out  of  earshot,  I  turned 
and  looked  into  her  eyes. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  with  him  ? "  I 
asked. 

"  We  must  stay  and  take  care  of  him," 
said  she,  steadily,  "  till  he  can  take  care  of 
himself." 

"  And  Philip  ?  "   I  questioned. 


The  Camp  by  Canseau  Strait     247 


She  burst  into  tears,  flung  herself  down, 
and  buried  her  face  in  her  hands.  After 
sobbing  violently  for  some  minutes  she 
grew  calm,  dashed  her  tears  away,  and 
looked  at  me  in  a  kind  of  despair. 

"  The  poor  boy  cannot  be  left  to  die 
here  alone,"  she  said,  in  a  shaken  voice. 
"  It  is  perfectly  plain  what  we  must  do. 
Oh,  God,  take  care  of  my  poor  lonely 
httle  one."  And  again  she  covered  her 
eyes.  I  took  one  of  her  hands  in  mine, 
and  pressed  it  firmly. 

"  If  there  is  justice  in  Heaven,  he 
will,"  I  cried  passionately.  "  And  he 
will;  I  know  he  will.  I  think  there 
never  was  a  nobler  woman  than  you,  my 
comrade." 

"You  do  not  know  me,"  she  answered, 
in  a  low  voice ;  and  rising,  she  returned 
to  the  sick  boy's  side. 

Seeing  that  we  were  here  for  some  days, 
or  perchance  a  week,  I  raised  two  hasty 
shelters  of  brush  and  poles.  That  night 
the  patient  wandered  in  his  mind,  but  in 
the  morning  the  fever  had  left  him,  and 
thenceforward    he    mended    swiftly.     His 


248         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

gratitude  and  his  docility  were  touching, 
and  his  eyes  followed  Mizpah  as  would 
the  eyes  of  a  faithful  dog.  I  think  his 
insight  penetrated  her  disguise,  so  that 
from  the  first  he  knew  her  for  a  woman ; 
but  his  native  delicacy  kept  him  from  be- 
traying his  knowledge.  As  far  as  I  could 
see,  there  were  no  bones  broken,  and  I 
guessed  that  in  a  week  at  furthest  he 
would  be  able  to  resume  his  journey  with- 
out risk. 

For  three  days  I  troubled  him  not  with 
further  questions,  Mizpah  having  so  de- 
creed. She  said  that  questioning  would 
hinder  his  recovery ;  but  I  think  she 
feared  what  questioning  might  disclose. 
At  last,  as  we  finished  supper,  of  which 
he  had  well  partaken,  he  rose  feebly  but 
with  determination,  took  a  few  tottering 
paces,  and  then  came  back  to  his  couch, 
where  he  lay  with  gleaming  eyes  of  satis- 
faction. 

"  I  walk  now  pretty  soon,"  said  he. 
"  Not  keep  kind  friends  here  much 
longer.  Which  way  you  going  when  you 
stor^ped  to  take  care  of  Indian  bov?" 


The  Camp  by  Canseau  Strait      249 

I  looked  across  at  Mizpah,  then  made 
up  my  mind  to  speak  plainly.  If  I  knew 
anything  at  all  of  human  nature,  this  boy 
was  to  be  trusted. 

"We  are  going  to  He  Royale/'  said  I, 
"  to  look  for  a  little  boy  whom  some  of 
your  tribe  have  cruelly  carried  off." 

His  face  became  the  very  picture  of 
shame  and  grief.  He  looked  first  at 
one  of  uSj  then  the  other ;  and  presently 
dropped  his  head  upon  his  breast. 

"  Why,  what  is  the  matter,  Xavier  ?  "  I 
asked.     He  had  said  his  name  was  Xavier. 

"  I  know,"  he  answered,  in  a  low  voice. 
"  It  was  some  of  my  own  people  did  it." 

^^What  do  you  know?  Tell  us,  oh, 
tell  us  everything  !  Oh,  we  helped  you  ! 
You  will  surely  help  us  find  him ! " 
pleaded  Mizpah,  breathlessly. 

"  By  all  the  blessed  saints,"  he  cried, 
with  an  earnestness  that  I  felt  to  be  sin- 
cere, "  I  will  try  to  help  you.  I  will  risk 
anything.  I  will  disobey  the  Abbe.  I 
will  —  " 

"  Where  is  the  child }  Do  you  know 
that  ?  "   I  interrupted. 


250         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  Yes,  truly,"  he  repHed.  "  They  have 
taken  him  north  to  Gaspe,  and  to  the 
St.  Lawrence.  My  uncle,  Etienne  le 
Batard,  was  in  canoe  that  brought  him 
to  mouth  of  the  Pictook.  Then  other 
canoe  took  him  north,  where  a  French 
family  will  keep  him.  The  Abbe  says 
he  shall  grow  up  a  monk.  But  he  is 
not  starved  or  beaten,  I  swear  truly." 

"  How  do  you  know  all  this?"  I  asked, 
looking  at  him  piercingly.  But  his  eye 
was  clear  and  met  mine  right  honestly. 

"  My  uncle  came  to  Malpic  straight," 
said  he,  "  where  the  warriors  had  a  council. 
Then  I  was  sent  with  word  to  my  father. 
Big  Etienne,  who  is  on  the  Shubenacadie." 

"  What  word  ?  "   I  asked. 

But  the  boy  shook  his  head.  "It  does 
not  touch  the  little  boy.  It  does  not 
touch  my  kind  friends.  I  may  not  tell 
it,"  he  said,  with  a  brave  dignity.  I  loved 
him  for  this,  and  trusted  him  the  more. 

"  This  lad's  tongue  and  heart  are  true," 
said  I,  looking  at  Mizpah.  "  We  may 
trust  him." 

"  I   know  it !  "  said  she.     Whereupon 


The  Camp  by  Canseau  Strait     251 

he  reached  out,  grasped  a  hand  of  each, 
and  kissed  them  with  a  freedom  of  emo- 
tion which  I  have  seldom  seen  in  the  full 
blood  Indian. 

"  You  may  trust  me,"  he  said,  in  a  low 
voice,  being  by  this  something  wearied. 
"  You  give  me  my  life.  And  I  will  help 
you  find  your  child." 

And  the  manner  of  his  speech,  as  if  he 
considered  the  child  our  child,  though  it 
was  but  accident,  stirred  me  sweetly  at  the 
heart,  —  and  I  durst  not  trust  myself  to 
Tieet  Mizpah's  eyes. 

Thus  it  came  about  that,  after  all,  we 
crossed  not  the  narrow  strait,  nor  set  foot 
in  He  Royale.  But  when,  three  days  later, 
I  judged  our  patient  sufficiently  recov- 
ered, we  set  our  faces  again  toward  the 
Shubenacadie. 

The  journey  was  exceeding  slow,  but  to 
me  very  far  from  tedious,  for  in  rain  or 
shine,  or  dark  or  bright,  the  light  shone 
on  me  of  my  mistress's  face. 

And  at  last,  after  many  days  of  toilsome 
wandering,  we  struck  the  head  waters  of 
the  Shubenacadie. 


252         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

From  this  point  forward  we  went  with 
more  caution.  When  we  were  come  within 
an  hour  of  the  Indian  village,  Xavier 
parted  company  with  us.  The  river  here 
making  a  long  loop,  so  to  speak,  we  were 
to  cross  behind  the  village  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance, strike  the  tide  again,  and  hide  at  a 
certain  point  covered  with  willows  till 
Xavier  should  bring  us  a  canoe. 

We  reached  the  point,  hid  ourselves 
among  the  willows,  and  waited  close  upon 
two  hours.  The  shadows  were  falling  long 
across  the  river,  and  our  anxieties  rising 
with  more  than  proportioned  speed,  when, 
at  last,  a  canoe  shot  around  a  bend  of  the 
river,  and  made  swiftly  for  the  point.  We 
saw  Xavier  in  the  bow,  but  there  was  a 
tall,  powerful  warrior  in  the  stern.  As 
the  canoe  drew  near,  Mizpah  caught  me 
anxiously  by  the  arm. 

"  That  man  was  one  of  the  band  that 
captured  us  at  Annapolis,"  she  whispered. 
"  What  does  it  mean  ^  Could  Xavier  mean 
to  —  ?" 

"  No,"  I  interrupted ;  "  of  course  not, 
comrade.    These  Indians  are  never  treach- 


The  Camp  by  Canseau  Strait      253 

erous  to  those  who  have  earned  their  grat- 
itude. Savages  though  they  be,  they  set 
civiHzation  a  shining  example  in  that. 
There  is  nothing  to  fear  here." 

Landing  just  below  us,  the  two  Indians 
came  straight  toward  our  hiding-place. 
At  the  edge  of  the  wood  the  tall  warrior, 
whom  I  now  knew  for  a  certainty  to  be 
Big  Etienne  himself,  stopped,  and  held 
out  both  his  hands,  palm  upwards.  I  at 
once  stepped  forth  to  meet  him,  leaving 
my  musket  behind  me.  But  Mizpah 
who  followed  me  closely,  clung  to  hers, — 
v/hich  might  have  convinced  me,  had  I 
needed  conviction,  that  hero  though  she 
was  she  was  yet  all  woman. 

"  You  my  brother  and  my  sister  !  "  said 
the  tall  warrior  at  once,  speaking  with  dig- 
nity, but  with  little  of  Xavier's  fluency. 
He  knew  Mizpah. 

"  I  am  glad  my  brother's  heart  is  turned 
towards  us  at  last,"  said  I.  "  My  brother 
knows  what  injury  has  been  done  to  us, 
and  what  we  suffer  at  the  hands  of  his 
people." 

^'  Listen,"    said    he,    solemnly.      "  You 


254         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

give  me  back  my  son,  my  only  son,  my 
young  brave,"  and  he  looked  at  Xavier 
with  loving  pride ;  "  for  that  I  can  never 
pay  you  ;  but  I  give  you  back  your  son, 
too,  see  P  And,  now,  always,  I  am  your 
brother.  But  now,  you  go  home.  I  find 
the  child  away  north,  by  the  Great  River. 
I  put  him  in  your  arms,  safe,  laughing, 
—  so  ;  "  and  he  made  as  if  to  place  a  little 
one  in  Mizpah's  arms.  "  Then  you  be- 
lieve I  love  you,  and  Xavier  love  you. 
But  now,  come ;  not  good  to  stay  here 
more."  And,  turning  abruptly,  he  led 
the  way  to  the  canoe,  and  himself  taking 
the  stern  paddle,  while  Xavier  took  the 
bow,  motioned  us  to  get  in.  I  hesitated ; 
whereupon  he  cried  :  — 

"  Many  of  our  people  out  this  way. 
River  not  safe  for  you  now.  We  take  you 
to  Grand  Pre,  Canard,  Pereau,  —  where 
you  want.     Then  go  north.     Better  so." 

Seeing  the  strong  reason  in  his  words,  I 
accepted  his  offer  thankfully,  but  insisted 
upon  taking  the  bow  myself,  because 
Xavier  was  not  yet  well  enough  to  paddle 
strongly. 


The  Camp  by  Canseau  Strait      255 

Thus  we  set  out,  going  swiftly  with  the 
tide.  As  we  journeyed,  Big  Etienne  was 
at  great  pains  to  make  us  understand  that 
it  would  take  him  many  weeks  to  find 
PhiHp  and  bring  him  back  to  us,  because 
the  way  was  long  and  difficult.  He  said 
we  must  not  look  to  see  the  lad  before  the 
snow  lay  deep  ;  but  he  bound  himself  to 
bring  him  back  in  safety,  barring  visita- 
tion of  God.  I  saw  that  Mizpah  now 
trusted  the  tall  warrior  even  as  I  did.  I 
felt  that  he  would  make  good  his  pledge 
at  any  hazard.  I  urged,  however,  that  he 
should  take  me  with  him ;  but  on  this 
point  he  was  obstinate,  saying  that  my 
presence  would  only  make  his  task  the 
more  difficult,  for  reasons  which  occurred 
to  me  very  readily.  It  cost  me  a  struggle 
to  give  up  my  purpose  of  being  myself 
the  child's  rescuer,  and  so  winning  the 
more  credit  in  Mizpah's  eyes.  But  this 
selfish  prompting  of  my  heart  I  speedily 
crushed  (for  which  I  thank  Heaven)  when 
I  saw  that  Big  Etienne's  plan  was  the  best 
that  could  be  devised  for  PhiHp. 

Some  miles  below  the  point  where  the 


256         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

river  was  already  widening,  we  passed  a 
group  of  Indians  with  their  canoes  drawn 
up  on  the  shore,  waiting  to  ascend  with 
the  returning  tide.  Recognizing  Big 
Etienne  in  the  stern,  they  paid  us  no 
attention  beyond  a  friendly  hail.  Late 
in  the  evening  we  camped,  well  beyond 
the  river  mouth.  Once  on  the  following 
morning,  when  far  out  upon  the  bosom 
of  the  bay,  we  passed  a  canoe  that  was 
bound  for  the  Shubenacadie,  and  again 
the  presence  and  parting  hail  of  our  pro- 
tector saved  us  from  question.  Our  halts 
for  meals  were  brief  and  far  apart,  but  hght 
headwinds  baffled  us  much  on  the  journey, 
so  that  it  was  not  till  toward  evening  of 
the  second  day  out  from  the  Shubenacadie 
mouth  that  we  paddled  into  the  Canard, 
and  drew  up  at  Giraud's  little  landing 
under  the  bank. 


Chapter    XX 
The  Fellowship  Dissolved 

IN  Giraud's  cabin  during  our  absence 
things  had  gone  tranquilly.  We 
found  Marc  mending,  —  pale  and  weak 
indeed,  but  happy;  Prudence  no  longer 
pale,  and  with  a  content  in  her  eyes  which 
told  us  that  her  time  had  not  been  all 
passed  in  grieving  for  our  absence.  Father 
Fafard  was  in  charge,  of  course ;  and  of 
the  Black  Abbe  there  had  been  nothing 
seen  or  heard  since  our  departure. 

Nevertheless  there  was  great  news,  and 
a  word  that  deeply  concerned  me.  De 
Ramezay  had  led  his  little  army  against 
Annapolis.  Just  ten  days  before  had  he 
passed  up  the  Valley;  and  for  me  he 
had  left  an  urgent  message,  begging  me 
to  join  him  immediately  on  my  return. 
This  was  a  black  disappointment;  for  just 

257 


258         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

now  my  soul  desired  nothing  so  much  as 
a  few  days  of  quiet  converse  with  Miz- 
pah,  and  the  chance  to  show  her  a  cour- 
tesy something  different  from  the  rough 
comradeship  of  our  wilderness  travels. 
But  this  was  not  to  be.  It  was  incum- 
bent upon  me  to  go  in  the  morning. 

That  evening  was  a  busy  one  ;  but  I 
snatched  leisure  to  sit  by  Marc's  bedside 
and  give  the  dear  lad  a  hasty  outline  of 
our  adventure.  The  tale  called  a  flush  to 
his  face,  and  breathless  exclamations  from 
Prudence ;  but  Mizpah  sat  in  silence, 
save  for  a  faint  protest  once  or  twice  when 
I  told  of  her  heroism,  and  of  her  noble 
self-sacrifice  on  behalf  of  the  Indian  lad. 
She  was  weighed  down  with  a  sadness 
which  she  could  make  no  pretence  to 
hide,  —  doubtless  feeling  the  more  little 
Philip's  absence  and  loneliness  as  she  con- 
templated Marc's  joy  on  my  return.  My 
hands  and  lips  ached  with  a  longing  to 
comfort  her,  but  I  firmly  forbade  myself 
to  intrude  upon  her  sorrow.  By  and  by, 
when  I  spoke  of  my  positive  determina- 
tion to  set  out  for  Annapolis  in  the  early 


The  Fellowship   Dissolved        259 

morning,  both  Marc  and  Prudence  strove 
hard  to  dissuade  me,  crying  out  fervently 
against  my  going ;  but  Mizpah  said 
nothing  more  than  — 

"Why  not  take  one  day,  at  least,  to 
rest  ? " 

And  I  was  somewhat  hurt  at  the  quiet 
way  she  said  it.  Said  I  to  myself  within, 
"  She  might  spare  me  a  little  thought, 
now  that  she  knows  Philip  is  safe,  and 
sure  to  be  brought  back  to  her." 

In  the  morning  I  saw  Big  Etienne  and 
Xavier  set  forth  upon  their  quest,  —  and 
Mizpah  stood  beside  me  to  wish  them  a 
grateful  "  God-speed."  Pale  and  sad  as 
was  the  exquisite  Madonna  face,  her  lips 
were  marvellously  red,  and  wore  an  un- 
wonted tenderness.  Her  eyes  evaded 
mine,  —  which  hurt  me  sorely,  but  I  was 
comforted  a  little  by  her  word  as  the 
canoe  slipped  silently  away. 

"  I  wish  we  were  going  with  them," 
said  she,  in  a  wistful  voice. 

It  was  that  ''  we  "  that  stirred  my  heart. 

"Would  to  God  we  were!"  said  I. 

Half  an   hour   later    I    hung   over   my 


26o         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

dear  lad's  pallet,  pressing  his  hands,  and 
bidding  him  adieu,  and  kissing  his  gaunt 
cheeks.  When  at  last  I  turned  away, 
dashing  some  unexpected  drops  from  my 
eyes  (for  I  had  eagerly  desired  his  com- 
radeship in  this  venture,  and  had  dreamed 
of  him  fighting  at  my  side),  I  found  that 
Prudence  and  the  Cure  had  gone  down 
to  the  landing  to  see  me  off,  and  that 
Mizpah  stood  alone  just  outside  the 
door,  looking  pale  and  tired.  I  think  I 
was  aggrieved  that  she  should  not  take 
the  trouble  to  walk  down  as  far  as  the 
landing,  —  and  this  may  have  lent  my 
voice  a  touch  of  reserve. 

"  Good-bye,  Madame,"  said  I,  holding 
out  my  hand.     "  May  God  keep  you  !  " 

In  truth  it  lay  heavily  upon  my  soul 
that  she  should  not  have  one  thought  to 
spare  from  the  child,  for  me.  Yet  I  was 
not  prepared  for  the  way  she  took  my 
farewell. 

"  It  was  '  comrade '  but  yesterday," 
she  murmured,  flushing,  and  withdrawing 
her  hand  ere  I  could  give  it  an  instants 
pressure.     But  growing  straightway  pale 


The  Fellowship  Dissolved       261 

again,  she  added  with  the  stateliness  so 
native  to  her  :  — 

"  Farewell,  Monsieur.  May  God  keep 
you  also  !  My  gratitude  to  the  most  gal- 
lant of  gentlemen,  to  the  bravest  and 
truest  succourer  of  those  in  need,  I  must 
ask  you  to  believe  in  without  words ;  for 
truly  I  have  no  words  to  express  it." 
And  with  that  she  turned  away,  leaving 
me  most  sore  at  heart  for  something  more 
than  gratitude. 

A  few  minutes  later,  when  I  had  made 
my  adieux  to  Father  Fafard,  and  kissed 
Marc's  lily  maid,  as  was  my  right  and 
duty,  I  had  a  surprise  which  sent  me 
on  my  way  something  more  happily.  As 
our  canoe  (I  had  Giraud  with  me  now) 
slipped  round  a  little  bluff  below  the  set- 
tlement, I  caught  the  flutter  of  a  gown 
among  the  trees  ;  and  the  next  instant 
Mizpah  appeared,  waving  her  handker- 
chief. She  had  gone  a  good  half-mile 
to  wave  me  a  last  God-speed. 

For  an  instant,  as  I  bared  my  head,  I 
had  a  vision  of  her  hair  all  down  about 
her,  a  glory  that  I   can   never  think   of 


Q.62         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

without  a  trembling  in  my  throat.  I  saw 
a  speaking  tenderness  in  her  Madonna 
face,  —  and  I  seemed  to  hear  in  my  heart 
a  call  which  assuredly  her  lips  did  not 
utter ;  then  my  eyes  blurred,  so  hard  was 
it  to  keep  from  turning  back.  I  leaned 
my  head  forward  for  a  moment  on  my 
arms,  as  if  I  had  been  a  soft  boy,  but 
feeling  the  canoe  swerve  instantly  from  its 
course,  I  rose  at  once  and  resumed  my 
paddling. 

Nevertheless  I  turned  my  head  ever 
and  anon  toward  the  shore  behind,  till  I 
could  catch  no  more  the  flutter  of  her 
gown  among  the  trees. 

I  have  wondered  many  times  since,  how 
Mizpah's  hair  chanced  then  to  be  down 
about  her  in  that  fashion.  Did  some 
wanton  branch  undo  it  as  she  came 
hastily  through  the  trees  ?  Or  did  her 
own  long  fingers  loosen  it  for  me  ? 

Of  de  Ramezay's  vain  march  against 
Annapolis  I  need  not  speak  with  any 
fulness  here.  The  September  weather 
was  propitious,  wherefore  the  expedition 


The  Fellowship  Dissolved       263 

was  an  agreeable  jaunt  for  the  troops. 
But  my  good  friend  the  Commander 
found  the  fort  too  strong  and  too  well 
garrisoned  for  the  force  he  had  brought 
against  it;  and  the  great  fleet  from  France 
which  was  to  have  supported  him  came 
never  to  drop  anchor  in  the  basin  of 
secure  Port  Royal.  It  is  an  ill  tale  for 
French  ears  to  hear,  for  French  lips  to 
relate,  that  which  tells  of  the  thronged 
and  mighty  ships  which  sailed  from 
France  so  proudly  to  restore  the  Flag 
of  the  Lilies  to  her  ancient  strongholds. 
Oh,  my  Country,  what  hadst  thou  done, 
that  the  stars  in  their  courses  should  fight 
against  thee  ?  For,  indeed,  the  hand  of 
fate  upon  the  ships  was  heavy  from  the 
first.  Great  gales  scattered  them.  By 
twos  and  threes  they  met  the  Enghsh 
foe,  and  were  destroyed ;  or  disease  broke 
out  amongst  their  crews,  till  they  were 
forced  to  flee  back  into  port  with  their 
dying ;  or  they  struggled  on  through  in- 
finite toil  and  pain,  to  be  hurled  to  wreck 
on  our  iron  capes  of  Acadie.  The  few 
that  came  in  safety  fled  back  again  when 


264         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

they  knew  the  fate  of  their  fellows.  And 
our  grim-visaged  adversaries  of  New  Eng- 
land, rejoicing  in  their  great  deliverance, 
set  themselves  to  singing  psalms  of  praise 
with  great  lustihood  through  their  noses. 

And  for  my  own  part,  when  I  reached 
de  Ramezay's  camp,  the  enterprise  was 
already  as  good  as  abandoned.  For  a 
week  longer,  less  to  annoy  the  enemy, 
than  to  spy  out  the  land  and  commune 
with  the  inhabitants,  we  lay  before  Annap- 
olis. Then  de  Ramezay  struck  camp, 
and  bade  his  grumbling  companions  march 
back  to  Chignecto. 

But  of  me  he  asked  a  service.  And, 
though  I  had  hoped  to  go  at  once  to 
Canard,  I  could  not,  in  honour,  deny  him. 
I  saw  him  and  his  little  army  marching 
back  whither  my  heart  was  fain  to  drag 
me  also ;  but  my  face  was  set  seaward, 
whither  I  had  no  desire  to  go. 

For  the  matter  was,  that  de  Ramezay 
had  affairs  with  the  Abenaqui  chiefs  of 
the  Penobscot,  which  affairs  he  was  now 
unable  to  tend  in  person,  and  which  he 
durst  hardly  entrust  to  a  subordinate,  or 


The  Fellowship   Dissolved       26^ 


to  one  unused  to  dealing  with  our  savage 
allies.  He  knew  my  credit  among  the 
Penobscot  tribes,  —  and  indeed,  he  would 
have  been  sorely  put  to  it,  had  I  denied 
him  in  the  matter.  The  affair  carried  me 
from  the  Penobscot  country  on  to  the  St. 
Lawrence,  and  then  to  Montreal.  The 
story  of  it  is  not  pertinent  to  this  narra- 
tive, and  moreover,  which  is  more  to  the 
purpose,  the  affair  was  no  less  private  in 
its  nature  than  public  in  its  import.  Suf- 
fice to  say  of  it,  therefore,  that  with  my 
utmost  despatch  it  engaged  me  up  to 
the  closing  of  the  year.  It  was  not  till 
January  was  well  advanced  that  I  found 
m.yself  again  in  de  Ramezay's  camp  at 
Chignecto,  and  looked  out  across  the 
snow-glittering  marshes  to  the  dear  hills 
of  Acadie. 

I  found  that  during  my  absence  things 
had  happened.  The  English  governor 
at  Annapolis,  conceiving  that  the  Acadians 
were  restless  to  throw  off  the  Enghsh 
yoke,  had  called  upon  New  England  for 
reinforcements.  In  answer,  Boston  had 
sent  five  hundred  of  her  gaunt  and  silent 


266         The   Forge  in  the  Forest 

soldiery,  bitter  fighters,  drinkers  of  strong 
rum,  quaintly  sanctimonious  in  their  cups. 
Their  leader  was  one  Colonel  Noble,  a 
man  of  excellent  courage,  but  small  dis- 
cretion, and  with  a  foolish  contempt  for 
his  enemies.  These  men,  as  de  Ramezay 
told  me,  were  now  quartered  in  Grand 
Pre  village,  and  lying  carelessly.  It  was 
his  purpose  to  attack  them  at  once.  But 
being  himself  weak  from  a  recent  sickness, 
he  was  obliged  to  place  the  conduct  of  the 
enterprise  in  the  hands  of  his  second  in 
command.  This,  as  I  rejoiced  to  learn, 
was  a  very  capable  and  experienced  officer. 
Monsieur  de  Villiers,  —  the  same  who, 
some  years  later,  was  to  capture  the  young 
Virginian  captain,  Mr.  Washington,  at 
Fort  Necessity.  Though  our  force  was 
less  than  that  of  the  New  Englanders,  de 
Ramezay  and  de  Villiers  both  trusted  to 
the  advantages  of  a  surprise  and  a  night 
attack. 

For  my  own  part  I  liked  little  this  plan 
of  a  night  attack  ;  for  I  love  a  fair  defi- 
ance and  an  open  field,  and  all  my  years 
of  bush  fighting  have  not  taught  me  an- 


The  Fellowship  Dissolved       267 

other  sentiment.  But  I  was  well  inclined 
toward  any  action  that  would  take  me 
speedily  to  Canard.  Moreover,  I  knew 
that  de  Ramezay's  plan  was  justified  by 
the  smallness  of  the  force  which  he  could 
place  at  de  Villiers'  command.  I  had 
further  a  shrewd  suspicion  that  there  were 
enough  of  the  villagers  on  the  English 
side  to  keep  the  New  Englanders  fairly 
warned  of  our  movements.  In  this,  as 
I  learned  afterwards,  I  suspected  rightly, 
but  the  blind  over-confidence  of  Colonel 
Noble  made  the  warning  of  no  effect. 
The  preparations  for  our  march  went  on 
briskly,  and  with  an  eager  excitement. 
The  bay  being  now  impassable  by  reason 
of  the  drifting  ice,  the  journey  was  to  be 
made  on  snow-shoes,  by  the  long,  cir- 
cuitous land  route,  through  Beaubassin, 
Cobequid,  Piziquid,  and  so  to  the  Gas- 
pereau  mouth.  Every  one  was  in  high 
spirits  with  the  prospect  of  action  after 
a  long  and  inglorious  delay.  But  for  me 
the  days  passed  leadenly.  I  was  con- 
sumed with  impatience,  and  anxiety,  and 
passionate  desire  for  a  face  that  was  never 


268         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

an  hour  absent  from  nav  thoughts.  My 
first  act  on  arriving  at  Chignecto  had 
been  to  ask  for  Tamin,  trusting  that  he 
might  have  tidings  from  Canard.  But  de 
Ramezay  told  me  that  he  had  sent  the 
shrewd  fisherman-soldier  to  Grand  Pre 
for  information. 

In  a  fever  I  awaited  his  return. 

At  last,  but  three  days  before  the  time 
set  for  our  departure,  he  arrived.  From 
him  I  learned  that  Marc  was  so  far  re- 
covered as  to  walk  abroad  for  a  short 
airing  whenever  the  weather  was  fine. 
He,  as  well  as  the  ladies,  was  lying  very 
close  in  Giraud's  cottage,  and  their  pres- 
ence was  not  known  to  the  New  Eng- 
enders at  Grand  Pre,  at  which  information 
I  was  highly  gratified. 

"  And  are  the  ladies  in  good  health  ^  ** 
I  asked. 

"  The  little  Miss  looks  rugged,  and  her 
eyes  are  like  stars,"  said  Tamin ;  "  but 
Madame  —  Ah,  she  is  pale,  and  her  eyes 
are  heavy."  Tamin's  own  eyes  almost 
hid  themselves  in  a  network  of  little 
wrinkles    as    he    spoke,    scrutinizing    my 


The  Fellowship  Dissolved       269 

face.  "  She  weeps  for  the  child.  She 
said  perhaps  you^  Monsieur,  would  find 
him  in  your  travels,  and  bring  him  back 
to  her !  " 

My  heart  sank  at  the  word.  I  could 
not  go  to  Canard,  —  I  could  not  face 
Mizpah  again,  till  I  could  go  to  her 
with  Philip  in  my  arms.  I  had  hoped 
that  he  was  restored  to  her  ere  this. 
What  had  happened  ?  Had  Big  Etienne 
deceived  me  t  And  Xavier,  too  ?  I  could 
not  think  it.  Yet  what  else  could  I 
think  ? 

"Ah,  my  friend,"  said  I,  with  bitter- 
ness, "  she  will  be  grievously  disappointed 
in  me.  She  will  say  I  promise  much,  and 
perforrr^  little.  And  alas,  it  seems  even 
so.  I  have  not  seen  or  heard  of  the 
child.  But  has  Big  Etienne  come  back  ? 
Surely  he  has  not  come  back  without  the 
child .? " 

Tamin,  it  was  plain,  had  heard  the 
whole  story  from  Marc,  for  he  asked  no 
questions,  and  showed  no  surprise. 

"  No,"  said  he,  "  they're  both  away, 
Big  Etienne  and  Xavier^  gone  nigh  onto 


270         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

four  months.  Some  says  to  Gaspe ; 
some  says  to  Saguenay.  Who  knows  ? 
They're  Injuns  !  "  And  Tamin  shrugged 
his  shoulders,  while  his  honest  little  eyes 
grew  beady  with  distrust. 

But  I  no  more  distrusted,  and  my 
heart  lightened  mightily.  They  had  been 
checked,  baffled  perhaps,  for  weeks  ;  but  I 
felt  that  they  were  faithful  and  would  suc- 
ceed. I  resolved  that  the  moment  this 
enterprise  of  de  Villiers'  was  accomplished 
I  would  go  to  help  them.  But  I  had  yet 
more  questions  for  Tamin. 

"And  the  Black  Abbe?"  I  asked. 
"  Where  is  he  ?  " 

"At  Baie  Verte,  minding  his  store,  or 
at  Cobequid  with  his  red  lambs,"  replied 
Tamin,  puckering  his  wide  mouth  drolly. 
"  He  is  little  at  Chignecto  since  he  met 
you  there,  Monsieur.  And  he  has  not 
been  seen  at  Canard  since  Giraud's  cabin 
grew  so  hospitable.  But  Grul  is  much  in 
the  neighbourhood.  I  think  the  Blacky 
Abbe  fears  him." 

Remembering  the  awful  scene  on  the 
cliffs    of  the    des    Saumons,    I    felt    that 


The  Fellowship  Dissolved       271 

Tamin's  surmise  was  fairly  founded  ;  and 
I  blessed  the  strange  being  who  thus 
kept  watch  over  those  whom  I  loved. 
But  I  said  nothing  to  Tamin  of  what 
was  in  my  mind,  thinking  it  became  me 
to  keep  Grul's  counsel. 


Chapter    XXI 
The  Fight  at  Grand  Pre 

ON  the  23d  day  of  January,  1747,  we 
set  out  from  Chignecto,  four  hun- 
dred tried  bush  fighters,  white  and  red,  — 
some  three  score  of  our  men  being  Indians. 
We  went  on  snow-shoes,  for  the  world  was 
buried  in  drifts.  There  was  much  snow 
that  winter,  with  steady  cold  and  no  Jan- 
uary thaw.  On  the  marsh  the  snow  lay  in 
mighty  windrows  ;  but  in  the  woods  it  was 
deep,  deep,  and  smotheringly  soft.  The 
branches  of  fir  and  spruce  and  hemlock 
bent  to  the  earth  beneath  the  white  burden 
of  it,  forming  solemn  aisles  and  noiseless 
fanes  within.  We  marched  in  column. 
The  leaders,  who  had  the  laborious  task  of 
tramping  the  unbroken  snow,  would  keep 
their  place  for  an  hour,  then  fall  to  the 
rear,  and  enjoy  the  grateful  ease  of  march- 

272 


The  Fight  at  Grand  Pre        273 

ing  in  the  footsteps  of  their  fellows.  Some- 
times, as  our  column  wound  along  like 
a  huge  dark  snake,  some  great  branch, 
awakened  by  our  laughter,  would  let  slip 
its  burden  upon  us  in  a  sudden  avalanche. 
Sometimes,  in  crossing  a  hidden  water- 
course, the  leading  files  would  disappear, 
to  be  dragged  forth  drenched  and  cursing 
and  derided. 

But  there  were  as  yet  no  enemies  to 
beware  of;  so  we  marched  merrily,  and 
cheered  our  nights  with  unstinted  blaze  of 
camp  fires. 

On  our  fourth  evening  out  from  Chig- 
necto,  when  we  had  halted  about -an  hour, 
there  came  visitors  to  the  camp.  My 
ear  was  caught  by  the  sentry's  challenge. 
I  went  indifferently  to  see  what  the  stir 
was  all  about. 

"  Monsieur,  we  are  come !  '*  cried  a 
glad  voice  which  I  keenly  remembered ; 
and  Xavier,  his  face  aglow  in  the  fire- 
light, sprang  forward  to  grasp  my  hand. 
Behind  him,  standing  in  moveless  dignity, 
was  Big  Etienne,  and  at  his  feet  a  light 
sledge,  with    a   bundle  wrapped  in  furs. 


274         The  Forge  In  the  Forest 

My  heart  gave  a  great  bound  of  thank- 
ful joy ;  and  I  stepped  forward  to  seize 
the  tall  warrior's  hand  in  both  of  mine. 

"  He  is  well !  He  sleeps  !  "  said  Big 
Etienne,  gravely.  In  dealing  with  men, 
I  pride  myself  on  knowing  what  to  say  and 
how  to  say  it.  But  at  this  moment  I  was 
filled  with  so  many  emotions  that  words 
were  not  at  my  command.  Some  sort  of 
thanks  I  stammered  to  express,  —  but  the 
Indian  understood  and  interrupted  me. 

"You  thank  me  moons  ago,  brother," 
he  said,  in  an  earnest  voice.  "  You  give 
me  my  boy.  Now  I  give  you  yours. 
And  we  will  not  forget.     That's  all." 

"  We  will  never  forget,  indeed,  my 
brother,"  said  I,  fervently,  and  again  I 
clasped  hands  with  him,  thus  pledging  a 
comradeship  which  in  many  a  strait  since 
then  has  stood  me  in  good  stead. 

During  the  rest  of  that  long  mid-winter 
march,  Philip  remained  in  the  care  of 
young  Xavier,  to  whom,  as  well  as  to  Big 
Etienne,  he  was  altogether  devoted ;  and 
I  saw  a  new  side  of  the  red  man's  char- 
acter in  the  tenderness  of  the  stern  chief 


The  Fight  at  Grand  Pre        275 

toward  the  child.  For  my  own  part  I 
lost  no  time  in  bidding  for  my  share  in 
Philip's  affections.  My  love  went  out  to 
the  brave-eyed  little  fellow  as  if  he  had  been 
the  child  of  my  own  flesh.  And  moreover 
I  was  fain  to  win  an  ally  who  would  help 
me  to  besiege  his  mother's  heart. 

Big  Etienne  had  spoken  within  the 
mark  in  saying  the  child  was  well.  His 
cheeks  were  dark  with  smoke  and  with 
forgetfulness  of  soap  and  water ;  but  the 
red  blood  tinged  them  wholesomely.  His 
long  yellow  hair  was  tangled,  but  it  had 
the  burnished  resilience  of  health.  His 
mouth,  a  bow  of  strength  and  sweetness, 
—  his  mother's  mouth,  —  wore  the  scarlet 
of  clean  veins  ;  and  the  great  sea-green 
eyes  with  which  he  stirred  my  soul  were 
unclouded  by  fear  or  sickness.  Before 
our  march  brought  us  to  the  hills  of 
Gaspereau,  Philip  had  admitted  me  to 
his  favour,  ranking  me,  I  think,  almost  as 
he  did  Xavier  and  Big  Etienne.  More 
than  that  I  could  not  have  dared  to  hope. 

At  sundown  of  the  ninth  of  February, 
the   seventeenth  day  of  our  march  from 


276         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

Chignecto,  we  halted  in  a  fir  wood  only 
three  miles  from  the  Gaspereau  mouth. 
We  Ut  no  camp  fires  now,  but  supped 
cold,  though  heartily.  We  had  been  met 
the  day  before  by  messengers  from  Grand 
Pre,  who  told  de  Villiers  the  disposition 
of  the  Enghsh  troops.  With  incredible 
carelessness  they  were  scattered  through- 
out the  settlement.  About  one  hundred 
and  fifty,  under  Colonel  Noble  himself, 
were  quartered  along  a  narrow  lane,  which, 
running  at  right  angles  to  the  main  street, 
climbed  the  hillside  at  the  extreme  west 
of  the  village.  For  my  own  part,  though 
de  Villiers'  senior  in  military  rank,  I  was 
but  a  volunteer  in  this  expedition,  and 
served  the  chief  as  a  kind  of  informal 
aide-de-camp  and  counsellor. 

Together  we  formed  the  plan  of  attack. 
It  was  resolved  that  one  half  our  com- 
pany, under  de  Villiers  himself,  should 
fall  upon  the  isolated  party  in  the  lane 
and  cut  them  to  pieces.  That  left  us  but 
two  hundred  men  with  whom  to  engage 
the  remaining  three  hundred  and  fifty  of 
the    New    Englanders,  —  a    daring    vent- 


The  Fight  at  Grand  Pre        277 

ure,  but  I  undertook  to  lead  it.  I  un- 
dertook by  no  means  to  defeat  them, 
however.  I  knew  the  fine  mettle  of 
these  vinegar-faced  New  Englanders,  but 
I  swore  (and  kept  my  oath)  that  I  would 
occupy  them  pleasantly  till  de  Villiers, 
making  an  end  of  the  other  detachment, 
should  come  to  my  aid  and  clinch  the 
victory. 

The  plan  of  attack  thus  settled,  I  turned 
my  attention  to  Philip.  Nigh  at  hand  was 
a  cottage  where  I  was  known,  —  where  I 
believed  the  folk  to  be  very  kindly  and 
honest.  I  told  Big  Etienne  that  we  would 
put  the  child  there  to  sleep,  and  after  the 
battle  take  him  to  his  mother  at  Canard. 

"And,  my  brother,"  said  I,  laying  my 
hand  on  his  arm,  and  looking  into  his 
eyes  with  meaning,  "  let  Xavier  stay  with 
him,  for  he  will  be  afraid  among  strangers." 

"  Xavier  must  fight,"  replied  the  tall 
warrior.  But  his  eves  shifted  from  mine, 
and  there  was  indecision  in  his  voice. 

"  Xavier  is  but  a  boy  yet,  my  brother," 
I  insisted.  "  And  this  is  a  night  attack. 
It  is  no  place  for  an  untried  boy.     No 


278         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

glory,  but  great  peril,  for  one  who  has  not 
experience  !  For  my  sake  bid  Xavier  stay 
with  the  child.'* 

"  You  are  right,  brother.  He  shall 
stay,"  said  the  Indian. 

And  Xavier  was  not  consulted.  He 
stayed.  But  his  was  a  face  of  sore  disap- 
pointment when  we  left  him  with  Philip 
at  the  cottage,  — "  to  guard  with  your 
life,  if  need  be  !  "  said  I,  in  going.  And 
thus  gave  him  a  sense  of  responsibility 
and  peril  to  cheer  his  bitter  inaction. 

It  had  been  snowing  all  day,  but  lightly. 
After  nightfall  there  blew  up  a  fitful  wind, 
now  fierce,  now  breathless.  At  one  mo- 
ment the  air  would  be  thick  with  drift, 
and  the  great  blasts  would  buffet  us  in 
the  teeth.  At  another,  there  would  seem 
to  be  in  all  the  dim-glimmering  world  no 
movement  and  no  breathing  but  our  own. 

It  was  far  past  midnight  when  we  came 
upon  the  hill-slope  overlooking  Grand 
Pre  village ;  and  the  village  was  asleep. 
Not  a  light  was  visible  save  in  one  long 
row  of  cottages  at  the  extreme  east  end, 
close  by  the  water  side.     Thither,  at  our 


The  Fight  at  Grand  Pre        279 


orders,  the  villagers  had  quietly  with- 
drawn before  midnight.  The  rash  New 
England  men  lay  sleeping,  with  appar- 
ently no  guards  set.  If  there  were  sen- 
tries, then  the  storm  had  driven  them 
indoors. 

The  great  gusts  swirled  and  roared 
past  their  windows,  piling  the  drift  more 
deeply  about  their  thresholds.  If  any 
woke,  they  turned  perchance  luxuriously 
in  their  beds  and  listened  to  the  blasts, 
and  praised  God  that  the  Acadian  peas- 
ants builded  their  houses  warm.  They 
had  no  thought  of  the  ruin  that  drew  near 
through  the  drifts  and  the  whirling  dark- 
ness. I  have  never  heard  that  one  or 
them  was  kept  awake  with  strange  terrors, 
or  had  any  prevision,  or  made  special 
searching  of  his  soul  before  sleep. 

It  would  seem  as  if  Heaven  must  have 
forgotten  them  for  a  little.  Or  perhaps 
the  saints  remembered  that  the  EngUsh 
were  not  a  people  to  take  advice  kindly, 
or  to  change  their  plans  for  any  sort  of 
warning  that  might  seem  to  them  irreg- 
ular.    But  among  us  French,  that  night, 


2  8o         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

there  was  one  at  least  who  was  granted 
some  prevision. 

Just  before  the  two  columns  separated, 
Tamin  came  to  me  and  wrung  my  hand. 
He  was  with  de  Villiers'  detachment. 
There  was  a  certain  awe,  a  something  of 
farewell,  in  his  manner,  and  it  moved  my 
heart  mightily.  But  I  clapped  him  on 
the  back.  "  No  forebodings,  now,  my 
friend,"  said  I ;  "  keep  a  good  heart  and 
your  eyes  wide  open." 

"  The  snow  is  deep  to-night.  Mon- 
sieur ! "  said  he  gravely,  as  he  turned 
away. 

"  True,"  I  answered ;  "  but  the  apple 
trees  are  at  the  other  end  of  the  village ; 
and  who  ever  heard  that  the  Black  Abbe 
was  a  prophet  ?  " 

Even  as  I  spoke  my  heart  smote  me, 
and  I  would  have  given  much  to  wring 
the  loyal  fellow's  hand  once  more.  But  I 
feared  to  add  to  his  depression. 

My  men  all  knew  their  parts  before 
I  led  them  from  the  camp.  Once  in  the 
village,  only  a  few  whispered  orders  were 
necessary.     Squad    by  squad,  dim    forms 


The  Fight  at  Grand  Pre        281 

like    phantoms    in    the    drift,    filed    off 
stealthily  to  their  places. 

I,  with  two  dozen  others,  Big  Etienne 
at  my  elbow,  took  post  about  the  centre 
of  the  village,  where  three  large  houses, 
joined  together,  seemed  to  promise  a 
rough  bout.  Then  we  waited.  Saints, 
how  long  we  waited,  as  it  seemed  !  The 
snow  invaded  us.  But  the  apple  trees 
were  many,  and  we  leaned  against  them, 
gnawing  our  fingers,  and  protecting  our 
primings  with  the  long  flaps  of  our  coats. 
At  last  there  came  a  musket-shot  from 
the  far-ofF  lane,  and  straightway  there- 
upon a  crashing  volley,  followed  by  a 
dreadful  outcry  —  shouts  and  screams,  and 
the  yelling  of  the  Indians. 

Our  waiting  was  done.  We  sprang 
forward  to  dash  in  the  nearest  win- 
dows, to  batter  down  the  nearest  doors. 
Lights  gleamed.  Then  came  crashes  of 
musketry  from  the  points  where  I  had 
placed  my  several  parties,  and  I  knew 
they  had  found  their  posts.  The  fight 
once  begun,  there  was  little  room  for  gen- 
eralship in  that  driven  and  shrieking  dark. 


282         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

I  could  see  but  what  was  before  me.  In 
those  three  houses  there  were  brave  men, 
that  I  knew.  Springing  from  sleep  in 
their  shirts,  they  seemed  to  wake  full 
armed,  and  were  already  firing  upon  us 
as  we  tried  to  force  our  way  in  through 
the  windows.  The  main  door  of  the  big- 
gest house  we  strove  to  carry  with  a  rush, 
but  that,  too,  belched  lead  and  fire  in 
our  faces,  and  we  came  upon  a  barrier  of 
household  stuff  just  inside.  By  the  light 
of  a  musket  flash,  I  saw  a  huge,  sour- 
faced  fellow  in  his  shirt,  standing  on  the 
barrier,  with  his  gun-stock  swung  back. 
I  made  at  him  nimbly  with  my  sword.  I 
reached  him,  and  the  uplifted  weapon  fell 
somewhere  harmless  in  the  dark.  The 
next  moment  I  felt  a  sword  point,  thrust- 
ing bhndly,  furrow  across  my  temple, 
tearing  as  if  it  were  both  hot  and  dull, 
and  at  the  same  instant  I  was  dragged  out 
again  into  the  snow.  Three  of  us,  how- 
ever, as  I  learned  afterwards,  stayed  on 
the  floor  within. 

It  was  Big  Etienne  who  had  saved  me. 
I    was    dizzy    for    a    moment    with    my 


The  Fight  at  Grand  Pre        283 


wound,  the  blood  throbbing  down  in  a 
flood;  but  I  ordered  all  to  fall  back 
under  the  shelter  of  the  apple  trees,  and 
keep  up  a  steady  firing  upon  the  doors 
and  windows.  The  order  was  passed  along, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  firing  was  steady. 
Then  winding  my  kerchief  tightly  about 
my  temples,  I  bade  Big  Etienne  knot  it 
for  me,  and  for  the  time  I  thought  no 
more  of  that  sword-scratch. 

Though  my  men  were  heavily  outnum- 
bered, the  enemy  could  not  guess  how  few 
we  were.  Moreover,  we  had  the  shelter 
of  the  trees,  and  our  fire  had  their  win- 
dows to  converge  upon.  We  held  them, 
therefore,  with  no  great  loss,  except  for 
those  that  fell  in  the  first  onslaught,  which 
was  bloody  for  both  sides.  Presently  a 
tongue  of  flame  shot  up,  and  I  knew  that 
they  had  set  fire  to  one  of  the  houses  on 
the  lane.  The  shouting  there,  and  the 
yelling,  died  away,  but  a  scattering  crackle 
of  musketry  continued.  Then  another 
building  burst  into  flame.  The  night 
grew  all  one  red,  wavering  glare.  As  the 
smoke  clouds  blew  this  way  and  that,  the 


284         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

shadows  rose  and  fell.  The  squalls  of 
drift  blurred  everything ;  but  in  the  -lulls 
men  stood  out  suddenly  as  simple  targets, 
and  were  shot  with  great  precision.  Yet 
we  had  shelter  enough,  too ;  for  every 
house,  every  barn  and  shed,  cast  a  block 
of  thick  darkness  on  its  northern  side. 
Then  men  began  to  gather  in  upon  the 
centre.  Here  a  squad  of  my  own  fellows 
—  yelling  and  cheering  with  triumph,  if 
they  were  Indians,  quietly  exultant  if  they 
were  veterans  — -  would  come  from  the 
conquest  of  a  cottage.  There  a  knot  of 
half-clad  English,  fleeing  reluctantly  and 
firing  over  their  shoulders  as  they  fled, 
would  arrive,  beat  at  the  doors  before  us, 
and  be  let  in  hastily  under  our  fire,  leav- 
ing always  some  of  their  number  on  the 
threshold.  It  was  like  no  other  fight  I 
had  ever  fought,  for  the  strange  confusion 
of  it ;  or  perhaps  my  wound  confused  me 
yet  a  little.  At  length  a  louder  yelling, 
a  sharper  firing,  a  wilder  and  mightier 
clamour,  arose  in  the  direction  of  the  lane. 
Our  own  firing  slackened.  All  eyes  turned 
to  watch  a  little  band  which,  fighting  furi- 


The  Fight  at  Grand  Pre        285 

ously,  was  forcing  its  way  hither  through 
a  s\yarm  of  assailants.  "  The  vinegar- 
faces  can  fight !  "  I  cried,  "  but  we  must 
stop  them.  Come  on,  lads  !  "  And  with 
a  score  at  my  back  I  rushed  to  meet  the 
new-comers.  Rushed,  did  I  say  ?  But  I 
should  have  said  struggled  and  floundered. 
For,  the  moment  we  were  clear  of  the 
trampled  area,  and  found  ourselves  in  the 
open  fields,  the  snow  went  nearly  to  our 
middles.  Yet  we  met  the  gallant  little 
band,  which  having  shaken  off  its  assail- 
ants, now  fell  upon  us  with  a  welcome  of 
most  earnest  curses.  Men  speak  of  the 
bloody  ferocity  of  a  duel  in  a  dark  room. 
It  is  nothing  to  the  blind,  blundering, 
reckless,  snarling  rage  of  that  struggle  in 
the  deep  snow,  and  under  that  swimming 
delusive  light.  Having  emptied  my 
musket  and  my  pistols,  I  threw  them 
all  away,  and  fell  to  playing  nimbly  with 
my  sword.  Big  Etienne  I  saw  close 
beside  me,  swinging  his  musket  by  the 
barrel.  Suddenly  its  deadly  sweep  missed 
its  object.  The  tall  warrior  fell  headfore- 
most,  carried  off  his  uneasy  balance    by 


286         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

the  force  of  the  blow.  Ere  he  could 
flounder  up  again  a  foeman  was  upon 
him  with  uplifted  sword.  But  with  a 
mighty  lunge,  hurling  myself  forward 
from  the  drift  that  held  my  feet,  I  reached 
the  man's  neck  with  my  own  point,  and 
fell  at  his  feet.  He  came  down  in  a  heap 
on  top  of  me.  His  knee,  as  I  suppose 
it  was,  struck  me  violently  on  the  head. 
Perhaps  I  was  already  weakened  by  that 
cut  upon  the  temple.  The  noise  all  died 
suddenly  away.  I  remember  thinking 
how  warm  the  snow  felt  against  my  face. 
And  the  rest  of  the  fight  was  no  concern 
of  mine. 


Chapter  XXII 
The  Black  Abbe  Strikes  in  the  Dark 

I  WAS  awakened  to  consciousness  by 
some  one  gently  lifting  me.  I  strug- 
gled at  once  to  my  feet,  leaning  upon 
him.     It  was  Big  Etienne. 

"You    much    hurt?"    he    queried,    in 
great  concern. 

"  Why,  no ! "  said  I,  presently.    "  Head 
feels  sore.     I  think  I'll  be  all  right  in  a 

minute." 

It  was  in  the  red  and  saffron  of  dawn. 
The  snow  had  stopped  falling.  The  mus- 
kets had  stopped  clattering.  The  battle 
was  apparently  at  an  end.  All  around  lay 
bodies,  or  rather  parts  of  bodies ;  for  they 
were  more  or  less  hidden  in  the  snow. 
Close  by  me  just  a  pair  of  knees  was  visi- 
ble, thrust  up  through  a  drift  into  which 
the  man  had  plunged  in  falling. 

287 


288         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

The  snow  was  all  mottled  with  blood 
and  powder,  a  very  hideous  colour  to 
look  upon.  I  stood  erect  and  stretched 
myself. 

"  Why,  brother,"  I  exclaimed,  in  great 
relief,  "  I  am  as  good  as  new.  Where  is 
the  commander  ? " 

Big  Etienne  pointed  in  silence  to  the 
street  before  the  three  houses.  There  I 
saw  our  men  drawn  up  in  menacing  array. 
In  and  behind  the  houses  were  crowded 
the  dark  masses  of  the  New  Englanders, 
punctuated  here  and  there  with  the  scarlet 
of  an  officer's  coat. 

De  Villiers  greeted  me  as  one  recovered 
from  the  grave.  I  asked  eagerly  how  he 
had  sped,  and  how  the  matter  now  rested. 

"  Success,  everywhere  success,  Briart !  " 
he  answered,  with  a  sort  of  controlled 
elation.  "  You  held  these  fellows,  while 
we  wiped  out  those  yonder.  But  it  was 
a  cruel  and  bloody  affair,  and  I  would  the 
times,  and  the  straits  of  New  France, 
required  not  such  killing  in  the  dark. 
But  they  set  fire  to  a  house  and  barn 
that   they  might   fight  in  the  light,  and 


The  Black  Abbe  Strikes         289 


so  a  band  of  them  escaped  us  and  cut 
their  way  through  here,  —  what  was  left 
of  them,  at  least,  after  they  got  done  with 
you  !  And  now  their  remnant  is  hemmed 
in  yonder." 

"We've  got  them,  then,"  said  I. 
"  Surely,"  he  answered.  "  But  it  will 
cost  our  best  blood  to  end  it.  They 
have  fought  like  heroes,  though  they 
kept  guard  like  fools.  And  they  will 
battle  it  out,  I  think,  while  a  man  of 
them  stands." 

"  Yes,  'tis  the  breed  of  them  ! "  said 
I,  looking  across  with  admiration  at  the 
silent  and  dangerous  ranks.  "But  they 
have  done  all  that  brave  men  could 
do.  They  will  accept  honourable  terms, 
I  think;  and  such  we  may  offer  them 
without  any  touch  of  discredit.  What 
do  you  say  ?  " 

This  was,  indeed  what  de  Villiers  had 
in  his  heart.  He  withdrew  his  troops 
some  little  distance,  that  negotiations 
might  be  the  less  embarrassed;  and  I 
myself,  feeling  a  fresh  dizziness,  retired 
to   a    cottage    where    I    might    have    my 


290         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

wound  properly  tended.  But  barely  had 
I  got  the  bandage  loosened,  —  a  black- 
eyed  Acadian  maid  standing  by,  with 
face  of  deep  commiseration  and  holding 
a  basin  of  hot  water  for  me,  —  when  there 
broke  out  a  sudden  firing.  I  clapped  the 
bloody  bandage  to  my  head,  and  ran 
forth ;  but  I  saw  there  was  no  need  of 
me.  The  English  had  sallied  with  a  fierce 
heat,  hoping  to  retrieve  their  fortunes. 
But  the  deep  snow  was  like  an  army  to 
shut  them  in.  Before  they  could  come  at 
us  they  were  exhausted,  and  our  muskets 
dropped  them  swiftly  in  the  drifts.  Sul- 
lenly they  fell  back  again  upon  their 
houses.  I  turned  to  my  basin  and  my 
bandaging. 

"  That  settles  that ! "  said  I  to  the 
damsel. 

"  Settles  what,  Monsieur  ?  "  she  asked. 
But  as  she  spoke  I  saw  a  look  of  sudden 
concern  cross  her  face,  a  faintness  came 
over  me,  and  I  lay  down,  feeling  her  arm 
support  me  as  I  sank. 

Sleep  is  the  best  of  medicines  for  me. 
I  woke  late  in  the  afternoon  to  find  my 


The  Black  Abbe  Strikes         291 

head  neatly  bandaged,  and  the  dizziness 
all  gone.  Men  came  and  went  softly. 
I  found  that  de  Villiers  was  lying  in  the 
same  house,  having  got  a  serious  wound 
just  after  I  left  him.  La  Corne,  a  brave 
Canadian,  was  in  command.  The  Eng- 
lish had  capitulated  toward  noon,  and  had 
pledged  themselves  to  depart  for  Annapo- 
lis within  forty-eight  hours,  not  to  bear 
arms  again  in  Acadie  within  six  months. 
We  had  redeemed  at  Grand  Pre  our  late 
failure  at  Annapolis. 

My  first  act  was  to  send  a  runner,  on 
snow-shoes,  to  Canard,  with  a  scrawled 
note  to  Mizpah.  Explaining  nothing,  I 
merely  begged  that  she  and  Prudence, 
with  Marc  and  Father  Fafard,  should 
meet  me  at  the  Forge  about  noon  of  the 
following  day.  In  the  case  of  Marc  not 
being  yet  strong  enough  to  journey  so 
far,  I  prayed  Mizpah  herself,  in  any 
event,  to  come  without  fail.  My  next 
was  to  send  a  messenger  for  Xavier  and 
Philip.  My  heart  had  fallen  to  aching 
curiously  for  the  child,  —  insomuch  that 
I   marvelled   at  it,  till  at  length  I  set  it 


292         The  Forge  In  the  Forest 

down  as  a  mere  whimsical  counterfeit  of 
my  longing  for  his  mother. 

Being  now  refreshed  and  altogether 
myself  again,  I  went  to  visit  the  lane 
wherein  the  fight  had  opened.  The  very 
first  house,  whose  shattered  door  and 
windows,  blood-smeared  threshold,  and 
dripping  window-sills,  showed  that  the 
fight  had  there  raged  long  and  madly, 
had  one  great  apple  tree  beside  its  gar- 
den gate.  A  chill  of  foreboding  smote 
me  as  I  marked  it.  I  approached  with  a 
curious  and  painful  expectancy,  the  words 
of  the  Black  Abbe  ringing  again  in  my 
ears.  At  the  foot  of  the  apple  tree  the 
snow  was  drifted  deep.  It  half  covered  a 
pitifully  huddled  body. 

I  lifted  the  body.     It  was  Tamin. 

He  had  been  shot  through  the  lungs, 
and  his  blood,  melting  the  snow,  had 
gathered  in  a  crimson  pool  beneath  him. 
Here  was  one  grim  prophecy  fulfilled. 
Carrying  him  into  the  house,  I  laid  him 
gently  on  a  bed.  Then  I  turned  away 
with  a  very  sorrowful  heart ;  for  there  was 
much  to  do,  and  the  dead  are  not  urgent. 


The  Black  Abbe  Strikes         293 

Even  as  I  turned,  my  heart  jumped 
with  a  new  and  sickening  dread.  Xavier 
stood  before  me  —  Xavier,  with  wild  eyes, 
and  face  darkly  clotted  with  blood.  The 
next  instant  he  threw  himself  at  my 
feet. 

"  The  child  !  "  he  muttered,  covering 
his  face.  "  They  have  carried  him  away. 
They  have  carried  Philip  away !  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  I  cried,  in  a 
voice  which  my  fear  made  harsh,  while  at 
the  same  time  I  dragged  him  to  his  feet. 
"Who  have  carried  him  away  ?     Who  ^  " 

But  I  knew  the  answer  ere  he  could 
speak  it,  —  I  knew  my  enemy  had  seized 
the  chances  of  the  battle  and  the  night. 

"  The  Black  Abbe,"  wailed  the  lad,  in 
a  voice  of  poignant  sorrow.  "  He  came 
in  the  night,  with  two  Chepody  Acadians 
dressed  up  like  Indians,  and  seized  me 
asleep,  and  bound  me." 

"  But  Philip  !  "  I  cried.  "  Where  have 
they  taken  him  ?  "  And  even  as  I  spoke 
I  was  planning  swiftly. 

"  The  Abbe  started  westward  with 
him,"    answered    Xavier.       "  From    what 


294         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

I  heard  say,  he  would  go  to  Pereau ; 
but  which  way  after,  I  could  not  find 
out." 

"  Come  !  "  I  ordered  roughly,  "  we  must 
follow  them  !  "  But  as  I  spoke  I  saw  the 
lad  totter.  I  caught  him  by  the  arm  and 
held  him  up,  perceiving  now  for  the  first 
time  how  he  was  both  wounded  and 
utterly  spent. 

"  Let  us  go  first  to  your  father,"  I  said 
more  gently,  leading  him,  and  putting 
what  curb  1  could  upon  the  fierceness 
of  my  haste. 

"  How  did  you  get  here  ? "  I  asked 
him  presently. 

A  gleam  came  into  the  lad's  faint  eyes. 

"  The  Chepody  men  stayed  till  morn- 
ing," said  he,  "and  then  set  out  on  the 
road  toward  Piziquid,  taking  me  with 
them.  They  thought  I  was  nothing  but 
a  boy.  As  we  went,  I  got  my  hands 
loose,  so,  —  and  waited.  At  noon  one 
man  went  into  a  house,  —  and  —  so  !  — 
I  was  free,  and  had  the  other  dog  by  the 
throat.  He  make  no  noise ;  but  he  fight 
hard,  and  hurt  me.     I  got  away,  and  left 


The  Black  Abbe  Strikes         295 

him  in  the  snow,  and  ran  back  all  the  way 
to  tell  you  the  Black  Abbe  —  " 

But  here  the  poor  lad's  voice  failed, 
and  he  hung  upon  me  with  all  his  weight. 
He  had  fainted,  indeed ;  and  now  that  I 
thought  of  his  wound,  his  hunger,  his 
grief,  and  his  prodigious  exertions,  I  won- 
dered not  at  his  swooning.  Picking  him 
up  in  my  arms,  I  carried  him  to  the  cot- 
tage where  the  kind  damsel  had  so  com- 
passionately tended  my  own  bruises. 

As  I  entered  the  thronged  cottage  with 
my  burden,  men  came  about  me  with 
many  questions ;  but  I  kept  my  own 
counsel,  not  knowing  whom  I  could  trust, 
or  where  the  Black  Abbe  might  not  have 
his  spies  posted.  Moreover,  I  was  so 
distracted  with  anxiety  about  the  child, 
that  I  had  small  patience  wherewith  to 
take  questioning  civilly.  Every  bed  and 
every  settle  being  occupied  with  our 
wounded,  I  laid  Xavier  on  the  floor,  with 
his  head  upon  a  blue  petticoat  which  the 
kind  damsel  —  who  came  to  me  as  soon 
as  she  saw  me  enter  —  fetched  from  a  cup- 
board and  rolled  up  deftly  for  me.     After 


296         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

a  careful  examination  I  found  no  wound 
upon  the  lad  save  two  shallow  flesh  cuts, 
one  across  his  forehead  and  one  down  his 
chest.  I  thereupon  concluded  that  ex- 
haustion, together  with  the  loss  of  blood, 
had  brought  him  to  this  pass,  and  that 
with  a  few  days'  care  he  would  be  alto- 
gether restored.  Having  put  some  brandy 
between  his  lips,  and  seen  his  eyelids 
tremble  with  recovering  consciousness,  I 
turned  to  the  maiden  and  said:  — 

"  Take  care  of  him  for  me,  Cherie. 
He  deserves  your  best  care ;  and  I  trust 
him  to  your  good  heart.  Give  him  some- 
thing to  eat  now,  —  soup,  hot  milk,  at 
first.  And  I  will  come  back  in  two  days 
from  now,  at  furthest." 

"  But  Monsieur  must  rest !  " 

"  No  rest  for  me  to-night ! "  I  inter- 
rupted, in  a  low  voice,  as  I  straightened 
myself  up.  "  Do  you  know  where  I 
may    find    the    lad's    father,    the    chief, 

Big-" 

But  there  was  no  need  for  me  to  finish 
the  question.  There,  close  behind  me, 
stood  the  tall    Indian,  looking    down    at 


The  Black  Abbe  Strikes         297 


Xavier,  with    trouble    in    his   eyes.  ^     He 
had  just  entered,  in  his  silent  fashion. 

"There  is  no  danger!  He  is  worn 
out!"  I  whispered.  "He  has  done  all 
a  brave  man  could  do  ;  but  the  child  is 
stolen  !     Come  outside  with  me." 

Big  Etienne  stooped  quickly  and  laid 
his  hand  upon  the  lad's  breast,  and  then, 
most  gently,  upon  his  lips.  A  second 
later  he  had  followed  me  out  into  the 
deepening  twilight. 

In  few  words  I  told  him  what  had  hap- 
pened, and  my  purpose  of  going  instantly 
in  pursuit.  Without  a  word  he  strode 
off  toward  a  small  cabin  about  a  stone's 
throw  from  the  cottage  which  we  had  just 

left. 

"  Where  are  you  going  ?  "  I  asked,  as- 
tonished at  this  abruptness. 

"  My  snow-shoes  !  "  he  replied.  "And 
bread.     I  go  with  you,  my  brother  !  " 

This,  in  very  truth,  was  just  what  I  had 
hoped  for.  But,  in  my  haste,  I  had  for- 
gotten the  need  of  eating ;  and,  as  for  my 
snow-shoes,  usually  strapped  at  my  back, 
they  had  been  left  at  the  outskirts  of  the 


298         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

village  the  night  before  in  order  that  my 
sword  arm  might  have  the  freer  play.  It 
was  no  time  now  to  go  back  for  them.  I 
slipped  into  the  cottage,  borrowed  a  pair, 
and  was  presently  forth  again  to  meet  Big 
Etienne.  The  Indian,  instead  of  bread, 
had  brought  a  goodly  lump  of  dried  beef. 
Side  by  side,  and  in  silence,  we  set  out  for 
the  cabin  on  the  Gaspereau  where  Philip 
and  Xavier  had  been  captured. 

We  found  the  place  deserted.  Either 
the  man  of  the  house  had  been  a  tool  of 
La  Game,  or  he  feared  that  I  would  hold 
him  responsible.  Which  it  was,  I  know 
not  to  this  day  ;  and,  at  the  time,  we  gave 
small  thought  to  the  question,  merely  com- 
mending the  fellow's  wisdom  in  removing 
himself  from  our  indignation.  What  en- 
gaged our  concern  was  a  single  snow-shoe 
track  making  westward,  followed  by  the 
trail  of  a  little  sledge. 

"Yes,"  said  I  ;  "Xavier  is  surely  right. 
The  Abbe  has  gone  to  cross  the  Habitants 
and  the  Canard  where  they  are  little,  and 
will  then,  belike,  turn  down  the  valley  to 
Pereau  ! " 


The  Black  Abbe  Strikes         299 


"  Very  like  !  "  grunted  my  companion  ; 
and,  at  a  long  lope,  we  started  up  the  trail. 

This  pace,  however,  soon  told  upon  me, 
and  brought  it  into  my  mind  that  I  had, 
that  day,  eaten  nothing  but  a  bowl  of 
broth.  We  halted,  therefore,  and  rested 
half  an  hour  in  the  warmth  of  a  dense 
spruce  coppice,  and  ate  abundantly  of  that 
very  savoury  beef  Then,  much  revived, 
we  set  out  again.  Treading  one  behind 
the  other,  we  marched,  in  silence,  through 
the  ghmmering  dark;  for  Big  Etienne 
was  no  talker,  while  I,  for  my  part,  was 
gnawing  my  heart  with  rage,  and  hope 
frustrated,  and  the  picture  of  Mizpah's 
anguish.  We  never  stayed  our  pace  till 
we  came,  at  the  edge  of  dawn,  to  the  spot 
where  the  trail  went  over  the  dwindled 
upper  current  of  the  Habitants. 

Here,  to  our  astonishment,  the  trail 
turned  eastward,  following  down  the 
course  of  the  river. 

I  looked  at  the  Indian  in  wondering 
consternation.  "  What  can  it  mean  ?  "  I 
cried.  "  Can  there  be  any  new  plot  of  his 
hatching  at  Canard  ?  " 


300         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

"  Maybe  !  "   said  Big  Etienne. 

At  thought  of  further  perils  threatening 
Mizpah  and  Marc,  the  weariness  which 
had  been  growing  upon  me  vanished,  and 
I  sprang  forward  as  briskly  as  if  we  had 
but  just  set  out.  Even  Big  Etienne, 
though  he  had  no  such  incentive  as  mine, 
seemed  to  win  new  vigour  with  the  con- 
templation of  this  new  coil  of  the  enemy's. 
If,  indeed,  he  appeared  somewhat  fresher 
than  I  throughout  the  latter  half  of  this 
hard  march,  it  is  but  justice  to  myself  to 
say  that  he  bore  no  wound  from  the  late 
battle. 

At  last,  when  it  was  well  past  ten  of  the 
morning,  the  trail  led  us  out  upon  the 
main  Canard  track,  and  turned  toward 
the  settlement. 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  with  bitter  conviction ; 
"  he  has  gone  to  Canard.  He  would 
never  go  there  had  he  not  some  deep 
scheme  of  mischief  afoot.  God  grant  we 
be  in  time  !  " 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  we  came  with- 
in sight  of  the  Forge  in  the  Forest.  To 
my  astonishment,  the  smoke  was  pouring 


The  Black  Abbe  Strikes        301 

in  furious  volume  from  the  forge   chim- 
ney. 

"  What  can  Babin  be  about  ?  Or  can 
Mizpah  and  Marc  be  there  already  ?  "  I 
wondered  aloud ;  but  got  no  answer  from 
my  companion.  A  moment  later,  a  turn 
of  the  track  brought  us  to  a  post  of  van- 
tage whence  we  could  see  straight  into  the 
forge.  The  sight  which  met  our  eyes 
brought  us  to  an  instant  stop  from  sheer 
amazement. 


Chapter  XXIII 
The  Rendezvous  at  the  Forge 

BESIDE  the  forge-fire  stood  GruL 
On  his  left  arm  was  perched  Philip, 
half  wrapped  in  the  black-and-yellow 
cloak,  and  playing  with  Grul's  white 
wand.  At  the  back  of  the  forge,  fettered 
to  the  wall,  and  with  his  hands  bound 
behind  him,  stood  the  black  form  of  our 
adversary.  Grul  was  heaving  upon  the 
bellows,  and  in  the  fierce  white  glow  of 
the  coal  stuck  a  number  of  irons  heating. 
These  he  turned  and  twisted  with  fan- 
tastic energy,  now  and  then  drawing  one 
forth  and  brandishing  it  with  a  kind  of 
mad  glee,  so  as  best  to  show  the  intensity 
of  its  colour ;  and  whenever  he  did  so  little 
Philip  shouted  with  delight. 

The  joy  that  surged  through  my  breast 
as  I  took  in  all  this  astonishing  turn  of 

302  _ 


The  Rendezvous  at  the  Forge     303 

affairs,  was  something  which  1  have  no 
words  to  tell  of. 

"  Mary,  Mother  of  Heaven,  be  praised 
for  this  !"   I  cried  fervently. 

"What  will  he  do  with  irons .^"  queried 
Big  Etienne,  with  a  curiously  startled  note 
in  his  voice. 

Indeed,  what  now  followed  was  suffi- 
ciently startling.  Grul  had  caught  sight 
of  us.  Immediately  he  set  the  child 
down,  heaved  twice  or  thrice  mightily 
upon  the  bellows,  and  then  drew  from  the 
fire  two  white-hot  rods  of  iron.  With 
these,  one  in  each  hand,  he  approached 
the  Black  Abbe,  treading  swiftly  and 
sinuously  like  a  panther.  I  darted  for- 
ward, chilled  with  sudden  horror.  A 
short  scream  of  mortal  fear  came  from 
the  wretched  captive's  lips. 

"  Stop  !  stop  !  "  I  shouted,  as  those 
terrible  brands  went  circling  hither  and 
thither  about  the  cringing  form.  The 
next  instant,  and  ere  I  could  reach  the 
scene  to  interfere,  the  Abbe  gave  a  huge 
bound,  reached  the  door,  and  plunged 
out  into  the  snow,  pursued  by  a  peal  of 


304         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

wild  laughter  from  Grul's  lips.  This 
most  whimsical  of  madmen  had  befooled 
his  captive,  in  much  the  same  fashion  as 
once  before  on  the  cliff  beside  the  des 
Saumons.  He  had  used  the  deadly  iron 
merely  to  free  him  from  his  bonds,  and 
again   held  in  reserve  his  full  vengeance. 

Fetching  a  huge  breath  of  relief,  I  joined 
in  Grul's  mocking  laughter ;  while  Big 
Etienne  gave  a  grunt  of  manifest  dissatis- 
faction. As  for  the  Black  Abbe,  though 
the  sweat  of  his  terror  stood  in  beads 
upon  his  forehead,  he  recovered  his  com- 
posure marvellously.  Having  run  some 
dozen  paces  he  stopped,  turned,  and  gazed 
steadily  upon  Grul  for  perhaps  the  space 
of  a  full  minute.  Then,  sweeping  a  scorn- 
ful glance  across  the  child,  the  Indian, 
and  myself,  he  half  opened  his  lips  to 
speak.  But  if  he  judged  himself  not 
then  best  ready  to  speak  with  dignity,  — 
let  no  one  marvel  at  that.  He  changed 
his  purpose,  folded  his  arms  across  his 
breast,  and  strode  off  slowly  and  in  silence 
along  the  track  toward  Grand  Pre. 

I  thought  his  shadow,  as   it  fell   long 


The  Pvendezvous  at  the  Forge     305 


and  sinister  across  the  snow,  lay  blacker 
than  was  the  common  wont  of  shadows. 

Big  Etienne  was  already  within,  and 
Philip  in  his  arms.  As  I  entered  the 
forge  door  Grul  cried  solemnly,  as  if  to 
extenuate  his  act  in  freeing  the  pris- 
oner :  — 

"  His  cup  is  not  yet  full." 

Seizing  both  his  hands  in  mine,  I  tried 
with  stammering  lips  to  thank  him  ;  but, 
something  to  my  chagrin,  he  cut  me  short 
most  ungraciously.  Snatching  his  hands 
away,  he  stepped  outside  the  door,  and 
raised  his  thriUing,  bell-like  chant:  — 

"Woe,  woe  to  Acadie  the  Fair,  for 
the  day  of  her  desolation  cometh." 

Beyond  all  words  though  my  grati- 
tude was,  I  could  not  refrain  from 
shrugging  my  shoulders  at  this  fantastic 
mummery,  as  I  turned  to  embrace  Httle 
Philip.  My  heart  v/as  rioting  with  joy 
and  hope,  and  I  could  not  trouble  my 
wits  with  these  mad  whimsies  of  GruFs. 
When  he  had  quit  prophesying  and 
come  again  within  the  forge,  I  tried  to 
draw  from  him  some  account  of  how  he 


3o6         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

had  so  achieved  the  child's  rescue  and  the 
Black  Abbe's  utter  discomfiture.  But 
he  wandered  from  the  matter,  whether 
wilfully  or  not  I  could  by  no  means 
decide ;  and  presently,  catching  a  ghost 
of  a  smile  on  the  face  of  Big  Etienne, 
I  gave  up  and  rested  thankful  for  what 
I  had  got.  As  for  Philip,  he  was  ami- 
ably gracious  to  both  Big  Etienne  and 
myself,  but  it  was  manifest  that  all  his 
little  heart  had  gone  out  to  Grul ;  and 
the  two  were  presently  playing  together 
in  a  corner  of  the  forge,  at  some  game 
which  none  but  themselves  could  under- 
stand. 

It  wanted  yet  an  hour  of  noon,  when, 
as  I  stood  in  the  door  consuming  my 
heart  with  impatience,  yet  unwilling  to 
go  and  meet  Mizpah  and  so  mar  the 
climax  which  I  had  plotted  for,  I  caught 
sight  of  two  figures  approaching.  I 
needed  not  eyes  to  tell  me  one  was 
Mizpah,  for  the  blood  shook  in  all  my 
veins  at  sight  of  her.  The  other  was 
Father  Fafard. 

"Marc,"  said  I  to  myself,  "is  not  yet 


The  Rendezvous  at  the  Forge     307 

strong  enough  to  venture  so  far ;  and  the 
maid  Prudence  has  stayed  with  him.  But 
Mizpah  is  here —  Mizpah  is  here  !  " 

With  eyes  of  dehght  I  dwelt  upon  her 
tall,  slim  form,  in  its  gown  of  blue  woollen 
cloth  which  set  off  so  rarely  the  red-gold 
enchantment  of  her  hair.  But  when  she 
was  come  near  enough  for  me  to  mark 
the  eager  welcome  in  her  eyes  and  on 
her  lips,  I  waved  at  her,  clumsily  enough, 
and  turned  within  to  catch  at  a  little  self- 
possession.  Not  having  my  snow-shoes 
on,  I  could  not  be  expected  to  go  and 
meet  her ;  and  that  waiting  in  the  door- 
way was  too  much  for  me  to  endure. 

"  Keep  Philip  behind  the  chimney,  out 
of  sight,"  I  whispered  eagerly  to  Grul ; 
and  somewhat  to  my  wonder  he  obeyed. 

On  the  next  instant  Mizpah  stood  in 
the  door,  smiling  upon  me,  her  face  all 
aglow  with  expectation  and  greeting ;  and 
I  found  myself  clasping  both  of  her  white 
hands.  But  my  tongue  refused  to  speak, 
—  deeming,  perchance,  that  my  eyes  were 
usurping  its  office. 

Finding  at  length  a  word  of  welcome 


3o8         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

for  the  good  priest,  I  wrung  his  hand 
fervently,  then  turned  again  to  Mizpah. 

But  my  first  speech  was  stupid,  —  so 
stupid  that  I  wished  most  heartily  that 
I   had  held  my  tongue. 

"  Comrade,"  said  I,  "  this  is  a  glad  day 
for  me." 

Her  face  fell,  and  her  eyes  reproached 
me. 

"  Because  you  have  defeated  and  slain 
my  people  ?  "  she  asked. 

My  face  grew  hot  for  the  flat  ineptitude 
of  my  words. 

"  No  !  no  !  Not  for  that ! "  I  cried 
passionately,  "  but  for  this  !  " 

And  I  turned  to  snatch  PhiHp  from  his 
corner  behind  the  chimney. 

But  Grul  was  too  quick  for  me.  He 
could  play  no  second  part  at  any  time,  he. 
Evading  my  hands,  he  slipped  past  me, 
and  himself  placed  the  child  in  Mizpah's 
arms. 

I  cursed  inwardly  at  his  abruptness, 
though  in  truth  he  had  done  just  what 
I  was  intending  to  do  myself  As  Miz- 
pah, with  a  gasping  cry,  crushed  the  little 


The  Rendezvous  at  the  Forge     309 

one  to  her  bosom,  she  went  white  as  a 
ghost  and  tottered  against  the  anvil.  I 
sprang  to  support  her,  but  withheld  my 
arm  ere  it  touched  her  waist,  for  even  on 
the  instant  she  had  recovered  herself. 
With  wordless  mother-cries  she  kissed 
Philip's  lips  and  hair,  and  buried  her 
face  in  his  neck,  he  the  while  clinging  to 
her  as  if  never  again  for  a  moment  could 
he  let  her  go. 

Presently,  while  I  waited  in  great  hun- 
ger for  a  word,  she  turned  to  Big  Etienne 
and  Grul. 

"  My  friends  !  "  she  cried,  in  a  shaken 
voice  which  faithfully  uttered  her  heart, 
"  my  true  and  loyal  friends  !  "  Where- 
upon she  wrung  their  hands,  and  wrung 
them,  and  would  have  spoken  further  but 
that  her  voice  failed  her. 

Then,  after  a  moment  or  two,  she 
turned  to  me,  —  yet  not  wholly. 

The  paleness  had  by  this  well  vanished, 
and  her  eyes,  those  great  sea-coloured 
eyes,  which  she  would  not  lift  to  mine, 
were  running  over  with  tears.  Philip 
took  one  sturdy  little  arm  from  her  neck. 


3IO         The  Forge  in  the  Forest 

and  stretched  out  his  hand  to  me  ;  but  1 
ignored  the  invitation. 

"  And  what  —  what  have  you  got  for 
me,  Mizpah  ? "  I  asked,  in  a  very  low 
voice,  indeed  —  a  voice  perhaps  not  just 
as  steady  as  that  of  a  noted  bush-fighter 
is  supposed  to  be  at  a  crisis. 

The  flush  grew,  deepening  down  along 
the  clear  whiteness  of  her  neck,  and  she 
half  put  out  one  hand  to  me. 

"  Do  you  want  thanks  ?  '*  she  asked 
softly. 

''  You  know  what  I  want,  —  what  I 
have  wanted  above  all  else  in  life  from 
the  moment  my  eyes  fell  upon  you ! " 
I  cried  with  a  great  passion,  grown  sud- 
denly forgetful  of  Grul  and  Big  Etienne, 
who  doubtless  found  my  emotion  more 
or  less  interesting. 

For  a  second  or  two  Mizpah  made  no 
answer.  Then  she  lifted  her  face,  gave 
me  one  swift  look  straight  in  the  eyes, 
—  a  look  that  told  me  all  I  longed  to 
know,  —  and  suddenly,  with  a  little  laugh 
that  was  mostly  a  sob,  put  Philip  into  my 
arms. 


"  AND    SUDDENLY    .    .    .    PUT    PHILIP    INTO    MY    ARMS 


I'he  Rendezvous  at  the  Forge     311 

^^  There  !  "  she  whispered,  dropping  her 
eyes. 

And  by  some  means  it  so  came  about 
that,  as  I  took  the  child,  my  arms  held 
Mizpah  also. 


THE    END 


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great  and  perilous  love  in  the  reign  of  Augustus  leads  tliem  through 
the  momentous,  exciting  events  that  marked  the  year  just  preceding 
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illustrations  by  John  Campbell. 

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The  London  Morning-  Post  says  :  "  It  would  be  hard  to  find  better 
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grazing  were  taken  up  by  the  incoming  homesteaders,  with  the  in- 
evitable result  of  fierce  contest,  of  passionate  emotion  on  both  sides, 
and  of  final  triumph  of  the  inevitable  tendency  of  the  times. 

WINSTON  OF  THE  PRAIRIE.    With  illustrations  in  color  by 
W.  Herbert  Dunton. 

A  man  of  upright  character,  young  and  clean,  but  badly  worsted 
in  the  battle  of  Me,  consents  as  a  desperate  resort  to  impersonate  for 
a  period  a  man  of  his  own  age — scoundrelly  in  character  but  of  an 
anstocratic  and  moneyed  family.  The  better  man  finds  himself  barred 
from  resuming  his  old  name.  How,  coming  into  the  other  man's  pos- 
sessions, he  wins  the  respect  of  all  men,  and  the  love  of  a  fastidious, 
delicately  nurtured  girl,  is  the  thread  upon  which  the  story  hangs.  It 
is  one  of  the  best  novels  of  the  West  that  has  appeared  for  years. 

THAT  MAINWARING  AFFAIR.      By  A.  Maynard  Barbour. 
With  illustrations  by  £.  Pleusted  Abbott. 

A  novel  with  a  most  intricate  and  carefully  unraveled  plot.  A 
naturally  probable  and  excellently  developed  story  and  the  reader 
will  follow  the  fortunes  of  each  character  with  unabating  interest 
*  *  *  the  interest  is  keen  at  the  close  of  the  first  chapter  and  in- 
creases to  the  end. 

AT  THE  TIME  APPOINTED.    With  a  frontispiece  m  colors 
by  J.  H.  Marchand. 

The  fortunes  of  a  young  mining  engineer  who  through  an  accident 
loses  his  memory  and  identity.  In  his  new  character  and  under  his 
new  name,  the  hero  lives  a  new  life  of  struggle  ^and  adventure.  The 
volume  will  be  found  highly  entertaining  by  those  who  appreciate  a 
thoroughly  good  story. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  Publishers,  -         .  New  York 


FAMOUS  COPYRIGHT  BOOKS 
IN   POPULAR    PRICED    EDITIONS 

^  Re-issues  of  the  great  literary  successes  of  the  time.  Library- 
size.  Printed  on  excellent  paper — most  of  them  with  illustra- 
tions of  marked  beauty — and  handsomely  bound  in  cloth. 
Price,  75  cents  a  volume,  postpaid. 

THE    FAIR   GOD  ;  OR,  THE  LAST    OF   THE  TZINS. 
By  Lew  Wallace.    With  illustrations  by  Eric  Pape. 

"  The  story  tells  of  the  love  of  a  native  princess  for  Alvarado,  and  it 
is  worked  out  with  all  of  Wallace's  skill  *  *  *  it  gives  a  fine  pic- 
ture of  the  heroism  of  the  Spanish  conquerors  and  of  the  culture  and 
nobility  of  the  Aztecs." — N'ew  York  Comviercial  Advertiser. 

"'■Ben  Ilur  sold  enormously,  but  The  Fair  God  was  the  best  of  the 
General's  stories — a  powerful  and  romantic  treatment  of  the  defeat  of 
Montezuma  by  Cortes." — Athenceicm. 

THE  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  KANSAS.    By  Louis  Tracy. 

A  story  of  love  and  the  salt  sea — of  a  helpless  ship  whirled  into  the 
hands  of  cannibal  Fuegians — of  desperate  fighting  and  tender  romance, 
enhanced  by  the  art  of  a  master  of  story  telling  who  describes  with 
his  wonted  felicity  and  power  of  holding  the  reader's  attention  *  *  * 
filled  with  the  swing  of  adventure, 

A  MIDNIGHT  GUEST.    A   Detective  Story.    By  Fred  M. 
White.  With  a  frontispiece. 

The  scene  of  the  story  centers  in  London  and  Italy.  The  book  is 
skilfully  written  and  makes  one  of  the  most  baffling,  mystifying,  ex- 
citing detective  stories  ever  written — cleverly  keeping  the  suspense 
and  mystery  intact  uncil  the  surprising  discoveries  which  precede 
the  end. 

THE  HONOUR  OF  SAVELLL  A  Romance.  By  S.  Levett 
Yeats.    With  cover  and  wrapper  in  four  colors. 

Those  who  enjoyed  Stanley  Weyman's  A  Gentleman  of  France 
will  be  engrossed  and  captivated  by  this  delightful  romance  of  Italian 
histoij.  It  is  replete  with  exciting  episodes,  hair-breathy  escapes, 
magnificent  sword-pIa3%  and  deals  with  the  agitating  times  in  Italian 
history  when  Alexander  II  was  Pope  and  the  famous  and  infamous 
Borgias  were  tottering  to  their  fall. 

SISTER  CARRIE.    By  Theodore  Drieser.    With  a  frontis- 
piece, and  wrapper  in  color.  ^ 

In  all  fiction  there  is  probably  no  more  graphic  and  poignant  study 
of  the  way  in  which  man  loses  his  grip  on  life,  lets  his  pride,  his  cour- 
age, his  self-respect  slip  from  him,  and,  finally,  even  ceases  to  struggle 
in  the  mire  that  has  engulfed  him.  *  *  *  There  is  more  tonic  val  ■ 
ue  in  Sister  Carrie  than  in  a  whole  shelfful  of  sermons. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,      '-  NEW  YORK 


WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.00  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 
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